Flying In The Snowflakes
by JMLHCPKSfan
Summary: Kendall, the teenage boy with massive wings on his back, would give anything to find love. When he meets the other bird-boys, James, Carlos, and Logan, his life is turned around. They are forced to keep hidden from the scientists out for their blood, but they will so anything to keep their other-halves safe and warm in the Minnesota winter.
1. Pilot

**I told you I may end up doing another bird-kid story! :D**

**This isn't Feathers at all- I changed personalities and ages and wing colors and plotlines and everything, so we're starting a-new! :) I hope you love it.**

* * *

"Hey! Asshole! Can I get a bigger cage here?" James growled, rattling the door to his dog crate, meant for a Great Dane, as a scientist passed by. "I KNOW YOU HEAR ME! FUCKING GET ME OUT!"

"James," Carlos said softly in the crate beside him. "Please?"

"FUCK YOU!" James called to the scientist as he left. James slumped back onto the floor, crossing his arms over his chest, covered by a dirty t-shirt like the rest of them, having dirty shorts on, too.

"I'm too big for this damn cage. I'm not a dog, Los. I'm a full-grown male human-thing!"

"Don't get your feathers in a ruffle," Logan retorted from Carlos' other side.

"Well you guys are small! I'm a foot taller than you, Logan, you don't get it."

"James," Carlos hissed. "Stop being a butt and stop with the cussing. You're just mad because you had to get shots."

"Damn right I'm mad about that! I don't even know what they put in me, but it hurt like hell. There were TWELVE of them, Los, and I didn't even get a sucker afterward," James whimpered.

"My poor baby," Carlos said flatly.

"Loooos. You're supposed to feel bad for me," James pouted.

"You're a big guy, Jame, you can take a few shots."

"But they hurt!"

"James! Shut UP!" Logan snapped. "We have to get shots, too, and we don't cry about it."

Carlos giggled, loving it when innocent Logan snapped at James. The funny thing was, James rarely ever argued, knowing that Logan was rational.

James sighed and leaned against the back of his cage, sulking.

"Man, I need to stretch my wings," Logan said, unaffected by James. "They're kinda sore."

"How long have we been here?" Carlos asked, looking out of the door of his cage. In front of them was a metallic table with syringes, cotton balls, alcohol, latex gloves, rulers, graduated cylinders, and the lunches that would be given to the captives, but for now were there to taunt them and make their stomachs growl.

"I think about four months," Logan said. "But I may have lost count."

Four months didn't seem like a long time to be in a lab, but it felt like years and years to the boys.

First it was Carlos, who was taken from his Texas school right before football try-outs. He remembered being so excited- he had been on the team at his old school, and this was his chance to prove himself at his new school although he hadn't actually been TO school yet, since it was summer. These men in button-up shirts and slacks had caught him before he went into the locker room, telling him that there was an accident and they needed him to identify some bodies. Of course this got Carlos' attention and he went with them. Stupid mistake. There were no bodies to identify, only a tranquilizer dart and a sketchy van.

Two days later, Logan was abducted from the same school just before he went to band camp. The other kids in the band, of course, noticed his absence but thought nothing of it. Their second trombone player would be back soon, right? Nobody realized that Logan was missing until the next day, when his mother called the band director and asked where he was, and the band director didn't know.

Just as the buzz about Logan was starting, another missing person was announced.

James Diamond had been at his workplace at Aeropostale. Camera footage showed a few teenage girls enter the store and approach him. They had twirled their hair and smiled flirtatiously to him, asking if he knew anything about cars because theirs wouldn't start. James left to help them and was never seen again.

The three missing high school juniors, being taken just days apart, had started an uproar in parents and students. Carlos was just a new kid, who nobody knew yet. Logan was that guy who worked hard in school and had a fair amount of friends because of band. James was that cocky kid that everyone knew from the football team.

There was a memorial page to be made in the yearbook for each of the missing students.

Suddenly everyone knew Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell, and James Diamond. Texas search crews were sent out for them, but nobody would find the teenagers. They were at the top of the country, in the basement of a Biological Laboratory in Minnesota.

The families had no choice but to give up eventually and try to heal. Their sons had gone missing in July and it was now November.

But WHY were they taken?

They were all in prefect health. They ate right, exercised enough, were intelligent, and disease free- the perfect specimen of the human race. The perfect three humans to screw up.

After being abducted, Carlos and Logan accepted their fates. James, however, never did.

Not even when all three of them underwent a three-day surgery in which their nervous systems were hacked into and fused with that of a massive set of wings stitched to their backs. Not even when their wounds healed and they were able to move their wings. No, James was still in denial.

"It feels like longer than that," Carlos said softly, bending his big dirty white wings around his body for warmth. "It feels like it's been five years."

* * *

Kendall sighed and curled up on his bed, boredly watching "The Price Is Right".

He wanted to go home and fly. But he couldn't. His family was dead and his home was being investigated by the police.

They would find his fingerprints everywhere in that house, but the prints would show up to belong to nobody. Kendall wasn't even a registered person. He was born at home- born a mutant freak- and hidden from the world in that home in the middle of the Minnesota woods for all 17 years of his life. His parents had been paid to have their first fetus be injected with avian DNA, but when he was born they said that he had not made it. Somehow somebody found out about him and raided his home in search of him, killing his baby sister, his mother, and his father in the process.

Now all Kendall had was this little hotel room, which he paid for with just a tiny bit of the money he took from his father's safe on his way out of the house.

Kendall was alone. He missed his mom and her bright smile, hiding her son out of good intensions. He missed his dad, who took him to the little pond in their backyard when he was a kid and taught him to fish. He missed Katie, who died so young- too young- and always looked up to her brother, mutant or not.

He considered cutting off his wings and living as a normal human. Nobody understood him, nobody related to him, nobody knew about him.

He wanted to kill himself in the bathroom of the hotel room, but he had nothing to do so with.

So he sat in this room, his deep grey wings folded against his back as he sat alone in the hotel room with only a backpack full of clothes and money and his guitar.

* * *

Logan, Carlos, and James jumped as they heard the lab door open. Carlos whimpered and put his fingers through his cage bars to James, who lay his own fingers on Carlos'. Logan pressed himself against the back of his cage, as if the scientist wouldn't see him if he was against the back. It hurt his black and grey wings, but he was terrified of the scientists.

The scientist squatted before Carlos' cage, Carlos peering at him with strong but fearful eyes.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"James roared, rattling his cage door with the hand that wasn't holding Carlos'.

"Shut up, assface," the scientist sneered to James as he unlocked Carlos' cage. Carlos' fingers tightened around the bars, squeezing his eyes closed in fear.

Being taken from your cage meant one of two things.

Experiments or a shower. And Carlos was just bathed yesterday.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" James was screaming, pounding on his cage. "DON'T PUT YOUR NASTY HANDS ON HIM!"

"James," Carlos whispered.

"DAMMIT! TAKE ME!" James yelled, slapping his palm on the bars.

Logan sat in his cage, watching. He wished he had someone to sacrifice themselves for him other than Carlos. He wished he had someone who loved him and worried about him.

Carlos whimpered as his foot was grabbed and he was dragged toward the door of the cage.

James shifted to his knees, following Carlos.

"You'll be okay, Los, I promise. I'll be here when you get back and everything will be okay."

"We're gonna escape," Logan said softly. "We'll get out of here."

Carlos was dragged onto the linoleum floor, struggling for his knees to escape, but a swift kick to his stomach brought him back down. Logan jumped and hid his eyes. James, more enraged than ever, used all his strength to break his door, not succeeding.

"DO THAT AGAIN, MOTHER FUCKER! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Logan heard Carlos go "OOF!" again, and James' cage rattled fiercely. The scientist laughed evilly as Carlos let out a sob of pain. Logan knew that wasn't smart of the scientist- James was stronger than he lead on, especially with the hormones he had been on. And if you messed with his Carlos, James would try to end you.

"James STOP it!" Logan roared, pounding on his own cage. "You're just feeding the fire!"

"HE'S TOO SWEET AND INNOCENT, YOU BASTARD!" James was screaming to the scientist. The last kick to Carlos' ribs finished James off and he summoned the strength to pull the hinges of the cage free. The other side of the door was locked, so he bent the metal with ease.

The scientist scrambled for a tranquilizer gun, but couldn't find one. James pulled himself free of the cage and stood, legs jelly, over Carlos. His huge deep brown wings spread to their full span, each eagle feather having a tan rim. The scientist made to run, hit the panic button beside the door, but James caught him and slammed him to the ground in one fluent motion. Carlos scrambled to his feet to stand behind James, the man hitting his head and knocked unconscious.

"Get his keys!" Logan said, rattling the door of his cage. "He won't be out for long!"

* * *

That night, Kendall dreamt of meeting other bird kids, just like him.

He woke up and cried because of the simple fact that he woke up. He wanted to live in the dream forever, where he belonged and was accepted. He wanted to find a girlfriend to love. He wanted to have friends to laugh with.

He decided that he couldn't live this way.

He would go out the next day and not hide. If he was found by the people who killed his family, then so be it. He didn't know what they wanted from him, but he knew that he couldn't live in secret anymore, especially not alone.


	2. Gifts

**Lover chocolate and ice-cream: I thought that I included wing color, but I'll just clarify for you and everyone else. Kendall's wings are darkish grey, Logan's are black with grey tips and insides, James' are dark brown, and Carlos' are white. :) And yeah, you had everything right about them- there's only so much you can do with reasons behind boys having wings. :P**

**Thank you to:**

**LoveSparkle, Me11, Chey21, Theweirdblond, and Lover chocolate and ice-cream for reviewing. :D I hope you stick with me, because this one's gonna be even more intense than Feathers. :) And if you haven't read Feathers, which I think all the reviewers did but there are silent people out there, that's one of my stories that's just like this one. And Needles is the 2****nd**** part to that.**

* * *

"GO, Carlos!" Logan hissed, glancing behind him and hearing the scientists beating at the door outside. James had already jumped out of the high window and was flying very unsurely, but Carlos was standing there, scared.

None of them had ever flown before, but when they were able to take the keys of the scientist that James knocked out and make it to the top floor of the lab, they HAD to. It was fly or splat.

"I'm scared!" Carlos said, although he could plainly see that James was arching to the sky now, his giant wings flapping a little.

Logan's hands planted on Carlos' shoulder blades and he gave a mighty shove, sending Carlos scrambling out of the window. Logan dove after him.

Carlos scrambled in the air, watching the parking lot and trees below come rushing toward him.

He snapped out his white wings, glistening a faint blue in the sunlight, and they wobbled and threatened to fail, but kept the ground from coming to him so fast. He folded them a little and pushed down, pleased when he rose a little bit, Logan already soaring above him.

"I'll kill you, Logan!" he called.

"Come at me, bro!"

They were laughing, having fun, until there were yells from below and a bullet whizzed past Logan's ear.

"Oh my god they're shooting at us!" Carlos cried. "JAMES THEY'RE SHOOTING AT US!"

James, a good distance ahead of them, turned that way, eyes widening. He wanted to go back and kick those gunmen's asses, but Carlos wouldn't be too happy when he got shot down and killed.

"HURRY!" James called.

More bullets whizzed past them, a few knicking their feathers. Man, either these gunmen were horrible aims or they weren't really trying to hit them.

"Let them go," the head gunman called to the others. "We'll get them."

"What if we don't?"

"Then they'll freeze."

* * *

Kendall exited the Holiday Inn with his backpack carefully placed on his back as not to disrupt his wings and his guitar case in his hand. The grey beanie on his head held his bangs out of his face as he watched people pass him by, nobody seeming to notice his wings.

It was a snowy day, the flakes small and flowy, sticking slowly on the sidewalk.

Kendall looked around for men in suits, a big sketchy van, anything. Part of him wanted to be caught, but he wasn't sure why. Perhaps because he didn't like to be alone and helpless.

Kendall had never been in public before, so he had never seen other auras.

His mother's aura had been pink, showing that she was kind, loving, and friendly. A safe color.

Katie's aura was orange- she was strong, thoughtful, and ambitious.

His father's aura had been yellow- he was optimistic and friendly.

Here, everyone had all different colored auras with all different shades. Here, his gift allowed him to see every color of the rainbow. He had read and heard that there are a lot of people who were able to see auras, and to humans that was sort of a gift. He thought it was useless, other than the fact that it told him to stay away from people with dark auras.

Speaking of dark auras, where the hell are these bad guys? Did he have to find them himself?

Everywhere he looked, there were couples holding gloved hands or a tall male with his arm around his girlfriend to keep her warm, or a cute kiss in the snow. Gosh, he wanted that. He had never even been hugged by someone other than his sister, mother, or father. He had never TOUCHED a girl besides Katie or his mom. Hell, he would be willing to get a kiss on the cheek from a guy- even that would make him feel special. He wanted HIS aura to go from orange- thoughtful, courageous- to pink- love- the way these couples did upon sight or touch.

He had never really thought of his sexuality until that thought right there. He had always seen on TV that girls and boys belonged together, and really never thought himself as gay. But maybe if there was a guy that showed him special attention and made him feel good, he would go for it.

That was when Kendall realized that he was kind of hungry.

* * *

Carlos and James had landed roughly, but none as roughly as Logan, whose feet was kicked from beneath him by the rushing ground and sending him face-planting and tumbling in the snow.

James and Carlos were keeled over his laughter, Logan getting up on his own and dusting himself off.

"Oh, haha," he retorted. "Buttholes."

"Are you- are you hurt?" Carlos asked through his laughter.

"Just my pride," Logan grumbled.

After a few more minutes, the laughter had subsided and the boys were pacing with their wings half-extended to cool down.

"It's FRIGID out here," James whined, rubbing his arms. Logan and Carlos had already wrapped their heated wings around themselves as they walked, making James feel dumb and copy them.

"We need a plan," Carlos said, head poking out of fluffy white feathers.

"Well, did anyone get hurt by the guns?" Logan asked as they gathered in a circle.

"A few of my feathers were nicked, but other than that I'm okay," Carlos said.

"Me, too," James nodded.

"Okay, good," Logan nodded. "I guess our next move is finding some warm clothes or somewhere warm to sleep."

"We're in the woods," James whined.

"Hey! Shut up! We're all just as miserable as you, so shut your trap," Logan snapped.

James' mouth formed into a line and Carlos giggled a little.

"So I think if we fly high enough, we'll be able to see a city. And we'll go from there."

"Can we go back to Texas?" Carlos asked excitedly.

"Maybe. But right now we've been flying since last night and we're cold and exhausted. So we leave in a few."

Carlos grumbled a little and folded his wings back, approaching James and smiling when James welcomed him into his wings.

"I bet it's warm in Texas," James grumbled.

"We never got to start senior year," Carlos pouted. "I was gonna be on the football team."

James started giggling making Carlos look up at him, confused, and his smile dropped.

"What's funny about that?" Carlos demanded.

"Nothing! I just- our football team was hardcore. I was on the team. And I mean- you're so little and innocent…"

When Carlos seemed to be getting mad, James suddenly felt rotten inside.

"Quit doing that," James pleaded.

"Doing what?"

"That THING you do where you make me feel bad about myself. Quit it."

"I dunno what you're talking about," Carlos said stubbornly, although he knew exactly what was being said.

"You know how you just always have complete control over my emotions and I don't like it."

"Maybe you should stop being a butt, then," Carlos smirked.

Carlos buried his face in James' chest sleepily, seeking warmth. They had discovered Carlos' ability to control someone's emotions just about a month ago, when Carlos had guilted a scientist into giving them extra food. He vowed not to abuse it, but he slipped up sometimes, like when he was fighting with someone or when everyone was panicking and he wanted them calm.

"Okay, guys," Logan said, breaking through their moment. He hated it when James and Carlos got mushy- it made Logan feel like the third wheel and kind of sad that he didn't have someone to be mushy with. "Are you ready to go?"

Of course James knew that Logan hated it.

James, of course, had a gift, too.

He could read minds on command. He had to be completely calm and focused, but he had heard it in Logan's mind before.

_Mushy, gross, jealous, want, kisses, touch, jealous, want._

Logan, like everyone else, thought in the form of words, images, and emotions, so it could get confusing for James. That's why he didn't do it much. That and the fact that Carlos told him that it was an invasion of privacy and that he shouldn't do it.

He felt bad for the guy- he was going through a lot, and unlike himself and Carlos, he didn't have someone to help him through. He was sort of in it alone.

"Yeah," Carlos said cheerfully. "Now we just have to figure out how to take off."

* * *

Kendall was in a coffee shop, innocently sipping hot cocoa and watching the news when the men approached.

"Excuse me," one man said, innocently enough. Kendall turned to him, tensing up as he noticed the men's dark, DARK auras. "Could you show us where the mall is?"

"No," he said quickly, feeling the emotions of their thoughts. Another gift he had- he could feel people's emotions, and right now these guys were angry and on-edge, ready for anything. "I don't know where it is."

He knew that these men would be the death of him, and at first he WANTED to be caught. But now he was scared- he wanted to get away.

"Look, kid, we can do this the easy way or make a scene about it," the man said lowly.

Kendall started to make an escape plan. The guys had the door blocked- how could he get out?

"Before we go, riddle me this. Why did you kill my family? WHY was that necessary?" he asked calmly.

"They would just blab."

"No they wouldn't. They went 17 years without blabbing about me," Kendall said angrily.

"Look, kid. We have tranks."

Kendall nodded and rose, not wanting to be tranquillized, bent for his guitar and was barely able to grip the handle of the case before his arm was taken.

"My backpack," he growled, struggling.

"Let's GO, pretty boy," the man growled, shoving him ahead and letting him go. They WERE in public- he couldn't be too physical.

"My backpack has all my stuff-"

"You won't need it."

"I do!"

One man took the backpack and unzipped it, grinning at all the money inside. He and another guy took handfuls of it, leaving only Kendall's clothes and some other things as they shoved it at him. Kendall's heart dropped- that was his father's hard-earned money- and put it over his back.

Kendall walked calmly ahead of the men and out of the door. They made a grave mistake by not holding the bases of his wings or having some kind of hold on him.

As soon as he was out in the snowy air, he made his move.

"HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP! THEY'RE HURTING ME!" he yelled, making it impossible for the men to grab him as everyone's attention was on him. Kendal started down the sidewalk in a dead sprint his guitar case knocking at his feet.

He dared not look back, but he heard running steps.

His stomach dropped as his foot skidded in the slushy snow and made him trip a little just as he snapped out his wings for flight. This made for an unstable takeoff, but he managed to gain his balance as he rose in the air. People were taking pictures of him, gasping at him.

His backpack, lighter now because of the loss of money, restricted his wings a bit, but he wasn't a safe distance away yet.

The higher he rose, the colder it got. Luckily, he had a coat and hat to keep him warm, and although the money from his backpack was taken he was glad that he had a 50 and some change in his pocket. NOW where was he to go? He had no desire to get caught now.

A silent bullet whizzed by, missing. Then another one nicked his forearm, making him his and press his hand to the wound. Great, now he was wounded. More bullets hit his feathers and clothes, one piercing his wing and another slicing his thigh.

He had to press on- he couldn't fall now- they would catch him.

XXX

He had been flying for an hour before he found that he saw three big birds ahead.

"Birds?" he whispered. Shouldn't all the birds be south for the winter?

Wait… Birds don't have auras. Birds don't give off happy and somewhat jealous emotions.

Ahead, he saw that there were two smaller beings and a big one. The big one had a red aura- strength, sexuality, passion. The small one closest to the big one's aura was yellow- happy, friendly, easily lead. Then the other one, farther away from the others, had an aura the color of grey- depression.

He wasn't sure what the hell was in the sky, the three figures so far away.

They were nearing fast, riding the air current that for some reason Kendall was working against.

He had no clue what to do, so he just flew on.

* * *

"Hey! What's that?" Logan called to James and Carlos. He pointed ahead to a big bird- HUGE- that they were approaching.

"Looks like a bird," Carlos said.

"Don't birds go south for the winter?" James asked.

"Maybe it's a plane that's really far away," Carlos suggested.

Suddenly the thing started to drop out of the sky, the wings gone.

"Let's go!" Carlos said excitedly, folding his wings up to start diving.

Soon they thumped to the ground, quite ungracefully. There was nobody in sight and only two footprints where the person had landed, nowhere else. A guitar case and backpack sat on either side of the footprints.

"HELLO?" Logan called, looking around.

Kendall's hand pressed against his own mouth, trying to suppress a cry as his wounded wing folded into itself and stung. He was hurt and losing blood, but he didn't want these people to see him.

The tall one suddenly gave of a defensive and protective emotion, his aura turning darker. The Latino one beside him gave off curiosity, no change in aura. The dark headed one gave off a scared emotion, yet kept looking for him.

James closed his eyes, concentrating on that unknown person's thoughts.

_Strange, wings, like me, yelling, tree, unwanted, scared, cold, hurt, scared._

"Logan, you're scaring him," James said, looking up in the trees for the person. "He's hurt."

Kendall's eyes widened. How did that guy know that? How COULD he know that?

It was Carlos that noticed the blood spot in the snow below the tree, the blood warm and fresh as to melt the snow. He innocently walked to the puddle, then directly up, finding yellowy-green eyes on him, wide and fearful.


	3. Warmth

Logan's and Kendall's eyes locked and Logan's aura immediately turned from light grey to deep pink, his lids fluttering.

He held up a hand to the frightened and injured bird boy in the tree and immediately Kendall took it, swinging down into the snow to come level- well, ALMOST level, plus a few inches- with this boy.

They stared at each other for a second, a feeling of déjà-vu overcoming them, but they had never met before in their lives.

_Boy, boy, handsome, wings, kind, cute, boy, like, boy, gay?, boy, like._

James smirked at the stranger's thoughts, which matched Logan's and he slowly pulled Carlos back to the background to give them a minute.

"Are you affecting them?" he whispered to Carlos.

"No? Why?"

"Cause they're like… going nuts over each other," James giggled. "It's kinda cute."

"Awe," Carlos melted, turning to watch Logan snap from his trance.

"You're bleeding," Logan said softly, snapping Kendall from his trance, too.

"Oh- yeah. I was shot," Kendall said.

"I can heal you."

"Huh?"

Logan took Kendall's hand, sending sparks flying and both of them blushing, and held it between them to look at the wound on Kendall's forearm.

"We should clean it first," Logan said. He bent to pick up a handful of snow and pressed it to Kendall's wound, making Kendall jump from the cold. Logan rubbed the bloody wound with the snow, the water dripping from it and cleansing it.

"What are you doing?" Kendall asked, watching Logan's eyes flicker on what he was doing.

Logan dumped the snow off of the arm and looked up to catch Kendall staring, making them both blush.

"Watch."

Their eyes lowered to the wound and Logan put a gentle hand over it, pressing just slightly, his other hand pressed to the other side of Kendall's arm.

After a second, Kendall's eyes rose, confused, to Logan, whose eyes were closed.

Finally, after a minute, Logan rubbed his hand over the spot a few times before taking it away.

Kendall gasped, stepping back a little as he inspected his perfectly intact forearm.

"How did you do that?" he asked, eyes on Logan's.

"I don't know. I just do."

It was no accident that Logan learned about his healing ability. The scientists had injected him with mysterious stuff and after a week they took Carlos out of his cage and cut his jugular, telling Logan that he had a few minutes to figure it out, because they didn't know HOW he would be able to heal. After trying everything, eventually Logan had just pressed his hand to the wound to stop the bleeding, and that had done it.

"That's amazing!"

Logan blushed and shrugged.

"Why are you in gym shorts and a t-shirt? It's negative degrees out here!" Kendall said quickly. He took his coat off and slipped it over Logan, the cloth warm from his body heat. Logan clutched the warmth to him and Kendall pulled the hood up before turning to his backpack to get a hoodie for himself. Logan huddled into the coat, smelling it and putting that scent to memory. "Hey- wasn't there more of you?"

Logan realized that Carlos and James were missing and turned, finding them against a tree, bundled in James' massive brown wings.

"Those are my friends," Logan said. "The tall one is James and the little one- his boyfriend- is Carlos. We escaped a lab together, and that's why we don't have warm clothes."

"And who are you?" Kendall asked charmingly.

"I'm Logan," Logan blushed a little. "And you?"

"Kendall."

"That's a nice name."

"Really? I fucking hate it. Do you wanna go to a hotel?"

"What?" Logan asked, eyes wide, but completely ready to go to a hotel with this stranger, no matter what the stranger had in mind.

"I mean to get out of the cold. You guys look exhausted and starved."

"We don't have money."

"I do. And we can go to a Goodwill and get some coats and pants."

"That's nice of you, but-"

"Let's go."

* * *

Carlos, James, and Kendall were shivering until they entered the Holiday Inn. Logan, however, was warm in Kendall's coat.

Carlos sighed in relief as the warmth of the lobby hit him and Kendall and Logan went to the reception desk. Logan didn't know why, but he was drawn to Kendall like a magnet and Kendall didn't question it- he felt the same way.

"Waaaaarm," Carlos groaned as James rubbed up and down his arms to warm them up.

"I just wanna go to the room and jump under the covers," James said. "Wanna join?"

"Fuck yeah, I wanna join."

_Money?, boy, boy, like, smell, warm, eyes, dimples, boy, like._

"Those boys are just crazy for each other," James laughed. "All that their minds are saying is just like 'boy, like, dimples, smile, like, boy, boy'. I've never heard Logan think like that."

"Is it getting easier?"

"I think so. I don't have to concentrate as hard."

"That's cool. What am I thinking?"

James zoned in on his Carlos' mind, and smirked a little production of Carlos bent over a bed with James doing nasty things to him popping into his head.

They had obviously never had sex before. They had never really even confirmed their relationship- it just HAPPENED. They started to be close within a week of being in the lab together, because James had somewhat known Logan from school and they didn't get along for a while. Eventually they started to hold hands when they were afraid and James got territorial of Carlos and they had just started to be mushy. It may have been hormones injected, but whatever it was, they were strong together.

"You dirty boy," James said flirtatiously.

Kendall got the room key and turned, surprised to find James and Carlos making out just feet away.

"Yeah- they do that. It sort of makes me feel awkward," Logan laughed a little.

* * *

As soon as they entered the two-bed room, Carlos and James had disappeared below the thick covers. Kendall laughed and set his guitar and backpack down, turning the TV on.

"TV!" Carlos said excitedly, scrambling from the blankets to stare at the TV. He had missed a warm, soft bed, but he missed TV even more.

Logan laughed and shrugged the coat off reluctantly.

"Thank you for lending me the coat," he said to Kendall, laying the coat on the other bed. "It was very helpful."

"Well you didn't have anyone to huddle with and you looked frozen," Kendall shrugged. "Anyone woulda done it."

"Well we all have high body temperatures- we weren't too bad off."

"But it was negative temps, and you were up high, so it was even colder."

"Well, whatever. Thanks."

"Yeah."

"I'm going to shower. I obviously haven't done that in about two weeks."

James groaned as an image of a naked Logan popped into his mind, coming from Kendall, then it was gone. He didn't want Kendall to know that he could read minds yet- he might stop being so open with his thoughts.

"I'm Kendall, by the way," Kendall said, plopping down on the other bed after Logan was gone. "Logan told me your names."

"Why do you have money?" Carlos asked, lying on his side, his feet on the pillow beside James.

"Because I used to have a family, but they died. So I inherited the money. But a lot of it got stolen- I only have like 300 left."

Kendall was glad to find three lone hundred dollar billion in the bottom of his backpack earlier.

"That was just a long, sad sentence. I'm sorry," Carlos said sympathetically. "You can hang with us. Maybe then Logan wouldn't feel like the third wheel."

"Maybe."

"Yeah, he always feels-" James groaned as a surge of lust coarsed through him, threatening to make him moan. He growled and shoved Carlos with his foot, making Carlos burst into laughter. "Stop it! Not fair!"

Kendall stared, confused.

"If you ever have sudden and extreme emotions, it's Carlos. He can do that- control emotions. He's abusing it right now."

"Do YOU have a superpower?" Carlos asked. "Like I can do that, Logie can heal, and James can read minds-"

"Los! He wasn't supposed to know yet!"

"Too late now!"

Kendall smirked- the couple was like two best friends or brothers.

"I wouldn't call it a 'superpower'. It's not as cool as you guys," he said indifferently. "But I can see people's auras and feel their emotions."

Carlos gasped, sitting up.

"What color am I?" he asked excitedly.

"Yellow," Kendall said. "I don't see it anymore, but it was when I first saw you."

"What's yellow mean?"

"Happy, friendly, that sort of thing."

"What about me?" James asked.

"Red."

"Ha! Red means mean, right?"

"It could, but it also means passion and strong sexuality. TROUBLE, if you will," Kendall smirked. "But when you're together, your auras turn pink. Love."

"Aaaawe," Carlos melted. "That's so cute!"

"You play guitar?" James asked, gesturing to the guitar case.

"No, that case is just for show."

James looked confused and Kendall burst into laughter.

"Yeah, I play guitar."

"That's rad."

"Hey… I'm sorry to seem needy, but I'm starved," came a voice and Logan was exiting the bathroom in just a white towel around his waist. James avoided Kendall's mind, knowing it was filled with dirty and disturbing images.

"I'll order a pizza," Kendall said, getting up.

"PIZZA!" Carlos cheered. "Get SEVEN pizzas!"

Kendall laughed and went to his backpack. He took out a t-shirt and some jeans, knowing they would be too big for Logan, but until he could get his own clothes, they would have to do.

"You'll have to go free-bird… Sorry," Kendall said. "All my undies are dirty."

"I'm used to it by now," Logan laughed a little and took the clothes, ignoring Carlos giggles about the pun "free-bird" because they were bird boys.

_Dimples, cute, boy, boy, like, smile, cute, like, boy._

"Would you guys just make out already?" James demanded. "JESUS, it's like a chick flick in your heads."

Logan gaped, face going red, as he chucked the TV remote at James. Kendall blushed bashfully, but smiled good-naturedly.

"You're abusing it!" Logan growled. "You guys promised you wouldn't!"

"I'm just trying to be a good wing-man!" James said in surrender.

Carlos burst into rib-splitting laughter, keeling over.

"WING-man!" he laughed. "PRICELESS!"

James, understanding that it was funny because they had wings, giggled, too, and eventually they were laughing like hyenas.

"Sorry about James. We had a deal- they wouldn't abuse their abilities," Logan sighed. "But what do you do? They're dumb and dumber."

"I like them."

"They're hard not to like."

* * *

Finally everyone was showered and the hot pizza was delivered.

Logan, James, and Carlos were able to eat as much as they wanted, which was a lot. Two whole pizzas between the four of them, to be exact.

Kendall tried to ignore the fact that he KNEW that Logan was into him. He could feel it, the butterflies in Logan's stomach flying into Kendall's, adding to the ones he already had.

Was this a… "crush"?

Kendall had had a crush on Topanga from "Boy Meets World" when he was a kid, but that wasn't the same as this.

"Let's play spin the bottle," Carlos said. "I'll kiss Jamie, Logan and Kendall, you guys kiss."

Suddenly both Kendall and Logan were forced with need to kiss.

"CARLOS, STOP IT!" Logan raged. "You guys promised you wouldn't abuse it! YOU'RE ABUSING!"

James and Carlos sniggered while Kendall and Logan were returned to normal.

"You guys are buttheads," Logan scolded.

* * *

Logan got a bed to himself, James and Carlos in the other, Kendall on the floor. Hey- he had been sleeping in a bed for his whole life. These guys hadn't been in a bed for months- Logan could have it.

"I'm burning up," James sighed, shifting away from Carlos to get to cooler sheets.

"I wanna cuddle," Carlos pouted, rolling over.

"Yeah, well, when you've got a thick cover and you're cuddling a little 103 degree furnace, it's a little hard," James said. They had never cuddled before- they had never really done a lot of boyfriend stuff, since they were in cages. "Oh, and the little furnace has two big fluffy furnace wings that are even warmer than he is."

"Jaaaaaaames," Carlos pouted.

"Go cuddle with Logan."

"Logie?"

"Come on," Logan sighed. He knew that James' temperature was even higher than his own and Carlos', since he was bigger. James' body temperature was about 105, and Logan figured Kendall's was, too.

Carlos tried not to step on Kendall as he transferred beds, lying on his side and Logan draping an arm over his side, his face against the white, soft feathers on his wings.

_Cuddle, jealous, boy, jealous, Carlos, cuddle, Logan, want, jealous._

James looked down at Kendall, who seemed to be peacefully trying to sleep, not visually effected by the two in the bed above him.

_Ha! Take THAT, Jamie, I hope you like it! _Carlos sneered in his head. _I bet I'll feel his morning wood!_

"LOS!" James gasped, throwing the other pillow at his boyfriend and making him giggle.

"That's what you get!"

It was silent again and of course Carlos thought about what Logan's crotch felt like against his backside.

"I'm never listening in on you again," James groaned.

"Yes you will," Carlos sniggered. "You'll look in on my wet dreams."

"Shut up! Both of you! Go to sleep!" Logan grumbled.

"Yes, King Lord High Sultan Logan!" James chanted, making Carlos giggle.

* * *

**I was hesitant to add the "gifts" to the guys and the "love at first sight" to Kendall and Logan, just because it could turn out unrealistic and bad. I dunno… I think I did okay. ;)**


	4. Feelings

Logan woke up on his stomach, Carlos hugging his side with his legs wrapped around one of Logan's. Across the room, James was snoring like a bear. Light guitar music tinkled in the dim room and Logan detangled himself from Carlos to get up.

Kendall was sitting against the wall, plucking the strings of his guitar lightly. He looked up and smiled a little at Logan.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he said.

"That sounds nice," Logan said, sitting on Kendall's left to listen. "Did you write that?"

"No- it's a song that I like. I figured out how to play it."

Logan watched Kendall's fingers dance on the neck of the guitar, Kendall watching Logan's fascination.

"Do you want to play?" Kendall asked. Logan, startled, shook his head bashfully.

"I don't know how."

"Can you play any instrument?"

"Yeah. But it's embarrassing."

"Tell me," Kendall smiled.

"I play the trombone," Logan laughed a little. "In high school. I would be a senior now, but I guess that's not gonna happen."

"Trombone's cool. I guess. Is that the really huge one?"

"No. That's tuba. Trombone's the one that goes like this-" Logan moved his hands from his mouth out, simulating what playing trombone looks like.

"Oh, those are really cool," Kendall said.

"Dorky. Not as cool as guitar."

Kendall smirked and shrugged.

"Music is music. Here- I'll teach you a few chords."

Logan scooted closer and Kendall set his fingers in the right places on the guitar, the instrument still in his own lap.

"That's a C," he said, strumming the strings. Logan smiled brightly, making Kendall smile, too. Then he reset his fingers in another way and strummed. "And that's an A. Those are my favorites."

Logan grinned and turned to Kendall, surprised to find Kendall already looking at them, their noses millimeters away.

"Maybe sometime you could teach me some trombone," Kendall said softly, Logan realizing the beauty of the color of his eyes for the first time.

"Like trombones are so easy to obtain," Logan smirked.

"I've obtained something in the past day that I never thought I'd be able to," Kendall said quietly, flirtatiously. It took Logan a second to realize that he was talking about him.

Kendall took the silence as an opportunity. His eyes dropped to Logan's lips and he started to lean in, going for the kill.

Logan blushed, turning his face to look down at the guitar again. He was REALLY into Kendall, which of course Kendall knew, but he wasn't sure now was the time for their first kiss.

He was stunned when there was suddenly a nose pressed in his hair and lips on his temple. He froze as Kendall held the kiss there for a second before pulling away with a kiss noise.

Kendall physically felt Logan's heart flutter, and his own did the same when Logan looked up at him, eyes bright and a smile on his face.

"You have cute dimples," Kendall whispered, thumb caressing the dimple on Logan's left.

"You, too."

Kendall didn't push for another kiss. He wanted to slide into it, make Logan want it more. Logan wanted it now, but he wouldn't initiate it- he was too shy.

"Let's go get some breakfast downstairs," he said instead, setting his guitar against the wall beside him and standing. He helped Logan up and they left without telling the others.

* * *

An hour later, everyone was awake and sitting around. Carlos was sitting against the headboard of the bed, James lying between his legs as his boyfriend stroked his hair. Kendall was laying on his stomach on the other bed, Logan Indian-style close by.

"So what do we do now?" James asked.

"We should go back to Texas," Carlos suggested. "I miss my parents and my brothers. And I bet they'd be happy that I'm alive."

"You guys are from Texas?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah. We were about to start senior year and some assholes kidnapped us and slapped wings on us. We're all from the same place- same school, same grade," Logan said solemnly.

"But if we go home, they'll see our wings. We'll be interviewed like crazy- famous. The scientists will see us and maybe come back for us," James said smartly.

"But we'll be protected from them. We wouldn't be able to go missing and nobody notice," Carlos said.

"There's a snowstorm coming," Kendall said, head turned to the TV, which was showing the news. "I don't think we can fly in a snowstorm."

"Can't we call our folks and at least tell them we're okay?" Carlos asked.

"Do you know their phone numbers?" Logan asked smartly.

"No…"

"Me either," James said.

"So that's out for now," Logan said. "Maybe we can just stay here in this hotel until it stops snowing."

"I don't have much money," Kendall said doubtfully.

"What about you? Are you coming to Texas with us?" Logan asked him.

"What's in Texas for me?"

"What's HERE for you?" Logan shot back. "At least if you go to Texas with us, you'll have people to hang out with and adventure with."

"Specifically Logan," James said.

Logan smiled in agreement and Kendall shrugged.

"I guess I have nothing to lose," he said.

"Good," Logan said brightly. He moved to lie on his side, head on Kendall's back. "So what do we do as of right now?"

"We go shopping. I don't have a lot of money, but Goodwill has some cheap clothes," Kendall said. "And at least then you'll be out of your shorts and t-shirts."

* * *

"We'll need another backpack for the other clothes. Get two outfits- jeans, sweatpants, whatever. And a hoodie and long sleeve shirts," Kendall instructed. "And try to keep it cheap."

James and Carlos excitedly spread out in the almost empty store, only occupied by old women.

"Go on," Kendall said to Logan.

"Carlos'll pick out too much that he wants to get, and I'll use some of that," Logan smirked. "We're the same size. Let's go find a backpack."

Meanwhile, Carlos and James were excitedly browsing the racks.

"I wonder who wore these clothes before," James said. "I wish clothes had thoughts so I could read them. Like, what if someone died in these clothes?"

"Ew. Don't say that!" Carlos laughed.

"Why isn't Logan looking?" James asked, watching Kendall and Logan talking as they slowly walked across the store.

"He knows we're the same size," Carlos shrugged. "I'll hook him up."

"When we get back to Texas, you won't leave me, right?" James asked, sifting through jeans.

"What? No way! I love you too much!"

James grinned and shook his head.

"Love you more… But you'll be occupied with your parents and brothers and the interviews and stuff… When will we ever get Jarlos time? I'll miss you."

"Everyone'll be interested in us. And Kendall and Logan when they get together. We'll be forever connected."

"All the meatheads that were my friends- they're gonna be shocked," James laughed a little. "That I came back with a boyfriend. I was a bit of a tool as a human."

He saw Carlos' face turn defensive, not wanting to hear about the girls and girls and girls that loved his boyfriend.

"But that was the old me. They're gonna be surprised at how much I changed," James said quickly. "Do you think anyone missed Logan?"

"The band kids. I hear they're really tight-knit, you know," Carlos said. "But nobody's missing me but my family. I never got a chance to make friends."

"I know you would have been a hit at school," James said sadly.

"Do you think we would be friends?"

"No. I wouldn't even know you."

"Why do you say that?"

"I was a jock. And an asshole. I barely even knew Logan's name and we went to school together since pre-k. I was selfish and only into popularity and girls. Even if you made it on the football team, I wouldn't notice you. So maybe it's best we were taken. In a twisted way, cause we got each other out of it."

"I guess you're right," Carlos said brightly.

* * *

Logan sat on the heater in front of the window in the hotel room, looking out at the blinding flurry of snow outside. James and Carlos were having a pillow-fight on the bed and he heard Kendall approaching.

"It's snowing," Kendall said simply, sitting on the heater beside Logan.

"We can't stay here tomorrow. We can't waste all you're money. Where are we gonna go?" Logan asked, eyes serene on Kendall's.

"Don't worry about it."

"I have to. James and Carlos sure as hell aren't, and I have to keep them safe."

"Why? Nobody asked you to."

"I love them to death, and if I didn't look out for them, what would happen?"

"They're big boys."

"I guess… But do you have a plan?" Logan asked, reaching out for Kendall's hand to hold in his own. Logan would be able to tell that Kendall was a guitarist just by his hands, which had long fingers, short fingernails, and veins tunneling the backs of his hands and wrists.

"Yeah. There's a tree house really deep in the woods at my old house," Kendall said. "It's not much, but I think we can live there until the storm passes. We'll have to be careful, though- there are police investigators at my house, trying to figure out who killed my family."

"W-what?"

"My… My parents and my little sister were killed less than a week ago. The people were after me- don't know why. And I also don't get why they had to kill my whole family," he said softly, trying to control his voice. "They're gonna find my fingerprints all over that house, but they can't match it up to me. I'm legally not even alive- I'm a total secret to the world, but not to those guys who are after me."

"I'm… So sorry. That's horrible," Logan said softly, seeing Kendall watch the snow through teary eyes.

"You're telling me."

Logan squeezed Kendall's hand and leaned his head on the window.

"I think that the tree house is our only option," he said softly, trying to get the conversation up again. "Do you think it's warm there?"

"It's totally closed up. There're glass windows and a door. It'll be warm ENOUGH in there. Too cold for a human, but we'll be okay."

"Hey! Guys!" James was suddenly saying, the TV being turned up loud, catching their attention. "Kendall's on the news!"

Logan and Kendall got up, staring at the TV, a phone-taken video playing of Kendall taking off flying on the sidewalk the day before.

"A team is out to capture the mystery bird-boy for scientific analysis, and some people aren't happy about that," the woman reporter said. A picture of a group with picket signs showed, the signs saying things like _"Let the bird-boy be free!" _and _"Angels should not be tortured". _"Some say that the boy is a fallen angel. Others believe that he is a scientific breakthrough. Either way, he isn't alone."

A picture showed of four blurry and tiny dots- four bird-boys in the sky.

"Many agree that the bird-children should be captured and scientifically examined, while others believe that they should be free and live in peace. Photos of the children's faces are yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure- these bird-children are making quite a splash."

"They're after us," Logan whispered.

"I'll kick their asses if I need to!" James growled. "They aren't taking us back to that damn lab!"

"They think we're angels," Carlos melted.

"We aren't safe," Kendall said.

"You're right. We aren't," Logan said. "What're we gonna do?"

"Stay low-key. Minimal public activity."

"But if someone gets a picture of our faces, it'll show up in Texas and we'll be safe," Carlos said.

"We would be identified, yes, but they would still want scientific answers. Our parents can't protect us from that," Logan said.

"Everyone just… Calm down," Kendall interrupted. "James and I are buff- we can protect the pack."

"Flock," Carlos said brightly. "Or a MURDER. Like crows. Can we be a murder?"

"Carlos, this isn't our concern right now," James snapped, taking Carlos aback. James apologetically put an arm over his shoulders as Kendall started to talk again.

"We can protect the MURDER. And we have gifts- James could hear them coming and maybe Carlos could make them turn around and go the other way. And if we get hurt, Logan's got our backs. And my gifts don't really help us… But I can make plans."

"He's right," Logan said to his friends. "And maybe if we win the public's heart somehow, they'll continue to protect us. Even if we get caught, maybe they can get us freed."

"I think life was easier when we were in the lab," Carlos said softly, laying his head on James' shoulder.

"No. This is all WAY better than the lab," James said sternly.

Logan sighed and slowly stalked off to the bathroom, feeling strung-up. He felt very responsible for James and Carlos' safety and well-being, and right now he wasn't sure what was best to do.

He sat on the big counter of the sink and lay his head back on the mirror as Kendall entered.

"Why're you so stressed?" he asked, standing before Logan and laying his hands on his knees.

"I'm not."

"I can feel other people's emotions- you're stressed."

"I just don't know if letting the public see our faces is the best. Yeah, we would be more protected, but we're also more recognizable that way. The people who are after us can easily take us when we're getting food at a gas station."

"You keep looking at this like you're alone in this and you're not. I'm here to help you decide stuff."

"I guess I'm so used to Carlos and James pairing up and me being alone."

"Not anymore."

"So you're going to Texas with us?" Logan asked hopefully, sitting up and leaning forward a little.

"As long as you'll be there."

Logan grinned and bit his lip, Kendall feeling Logan's heart flutter.

"Can feel me being excited right now?" Logan asked.

"I can. I love it."

"You're a complete stranger. Why do I feel that way?" Logan asked.

"Don't question it. Just enjoy it," Kendall answered.

"KISS ALREADY!" Carlos called from the room and Logan blushed and laughed a little, bowing his head.

"Do it, do it, do it!" James chanted.

Suddenly both Logan and Kendall were welled up with lust and excitement, Kendall quickly leaning in just as Logan rose his head, their lips locking in consent.

James and Carlos cheered from the other room as their friend's lips disconnected and Logan's eyes rose to stare into Kendall's.

"Los!" Logan called, keeping eye contact. "Not cool!"

"You love me for it!" Carlos called back. Kendall smirked and rolled his eyes, knowing that Carlos had basically shoved their faces together with his ability.


	5. Guns

"L-Los," James stammered, whispering quietly as he shook his boyfriend awake. Carlos grumbled and shifted, opening his eyes. It was about eleven in the afternoon, and Carlos wanted to sleep till about dinner time. "Some people are coming. Bad people."

"What're you-"

"SHH!" James was afraid that the people might hear them in there. He thought that if the people didn't know that the boys inhabited the room, they would go away. They were bad men, out to get them somehow, and James' number-one priority was to get Carlos and Logan to safety, but mostly Carlos. Kendall, James knew, could take care of himself.

Carlos sat up and looked around to find Kendall on the floor, Logan in the bed, both asleep.

"I hear their thoughts- they're coming for us," James whispered. "We have to get outta here."

"Go open the window and slash the screen," Carlos murmured, in the zone now. "I'll get the guys."

Carlos nudged Kendall awake with his foot as he shook Logan. He didn't know what was going on, but if James was worried about it, it was something serious. James quietly slid open the big window, letting in freezing cold air.

"Guys, get UP we have to go!" he hissed. "Hurry!"

Someone started to bang at the door, snapping Logan and Kendall awake.

"Who's at the-?" Logan began, but Carlos and James shushed him. Carlos began frantically shoving dirty clothes into the backpacks, then scampered to the bathroom to take towels, soaps, rags, drinking glasses, anything he thought might come in handy.

Kendall got up and sneaked to the door, peering through the hole as another round of pounding came. He didn't know what the hell was going on. He didn't recognize the men outside- they seemed like normal middle aged men in winter coats and scarves. He may have thought they were okay and opened the door if they weren't knocking so violently and had dark, dark auras.

His hand was grabbed and he was yanked behind Logan to toward the window.

"LET US IN! NOW!" One man outside called. The boys slipped their shoes and hoodies on, deciding the rest can wait. They had cut slits in the backs of their shirts and hoodies for their wings last night.

A faint beep and the click of a lock sent ice into their stomachs, James sprinting across the room and slamming into the door, holding it closed before the men could enter. The men obviously knew they were in there now- he should have been more graceful.

"GO!" James mouthed to the others.

"Go," Kendall whispered urgently to Carlos and Logan, Carlos with the backpack and a white bedspread, Logan with Kendall's guitar and the other bedspread. They knew that where they were going- the tree house- it would be cold, so they blankets would come in handy.

"You have to come, too," Logan whispered back. He didn't want Kendall to risk himself by staying- James had this on his own. James had killer instincts and a protective nature- he seemed dumb, but when he or his friends were in danger he was the protector.

"I'll be fine- GO. Find a rooftop and we'll catch up. Don't try to go too far, you're weighed down."

Kendall didn't wait for the others to drop out of the window- he went to the door and pressed his shoulder to it.

_Boys, locked, kill, money, kill, boys, door, break, birds._

"They're gonna kill us for money," James whispered, hand gripping the door handle and pushing hard with his shoulder. "We're bounty."

"Carlos and Logan are out."

"Good. What's the plan?"

More pounding vibrated the door beneath their shoulders and the door handle rattled.

Kendall's mind raced. He knew there were two escapes- out the window, which would require letting go of the door, and out the door, where the men would get them. Needless to say, the window sounded better.

"WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! OPEN UP!" the men outside yelled, pounding on the door.

Kendall reached over and quietly slid the chain lock into the slot with some difficulty as the door rattled. Why weren't these guys giving up?

"We're gonna let go on 3, okay? And we're gonna jump out the window."

"What if they have guns?"

"Then they have guns."

James gave him a confused look.

"One… Two… THREE!"

Both boys darted from the door, which immediately burst open, breaking the chain lock. Three men entered, only one with a handgun, the others with nothing.

Kendall's target was his backpack, then the window. He heard the men enter and start yelling, a gunshot, then James cry in pain. Kendall grabbed his backpack and was about to slip out the window when he looked back to find James holding his bicep, blood oozing from between his fingers. Another gunshot rang and James was pushed forward by the impact of the bullet lodging into his shoulder blade.

"GO!" James yelled, on the ground now. He wanted Kendall to leave while he could- there was no reason for them both to die. And he was sure these men were about to put a bullet in his head anyway- Kendall shouldn't see that.

Kendall almost left, but how could he leave his friend here to die? And how could he find the others without James and break Carlos' heart like that? Logan said that he felt responsible for the couple- he would find a way to blame himself.

"Fuck," he whispered, dropping his backpack and going for James.

"C'mon, buddy, get up," he said. He would get hurt saving James, but Logan could take care of him. He just had to get James out.

Another gunshot fired, whizzing past Kendall's ear as James struggled to his feet, stumbled, and crawled to the window. If he would just get out, he could fly. Maybe.

The gun turned to Kendall, and Kendall grabbed the man's wrist and twisted, forcing another bullet from the gun and through the wall.

One of the goons grabbed Kendall by the bases of the wings, yanking him back, as the other grabbed his hands. Kendall felt his doom approaching and thought furiously _GO! FUCKING GO AND NEVER LOOK BACK!_ for James, hoping he would hear.

The man with the gun grinned grimly and pressed the end of the gun to the underside of Kendall's jaw, forcing his face up.

Kendall stared the man in the eyes, waiting for the shot to ring. He wondered what death felt like. He would find out soon enough, he guessed.

"Tall blonde- worth how much?" the man sneered to his friend.

"48 million," the one with Kendall's wings said grimly. Damn- Kendall's bounty was 48 million dollars? He was impressed.

"What about the other one?"

"39 million."

Kendall assumed he was worth more than James because he was born a mutant, and so his DNA would be more interesting. But… Wouldn't the scientists want him alive? Why was his corpse worth so much?

"Good thing we'll get both."

The man squeezed the trigger and Kendall's eyes closed, waiting.

He heard the click of the trigger and waited… Waited…

The now-warm metal disappeared from Kendall's skin as the man cursed, pounding on the gun.

"Out of bullets."

"Told you you shoulda reloaded," the one with Kendall's hands grumbled.

Kendall took the moment of distraction and weakness to force his wings out, the freshly cleaned dark grey feathers brushing his captor's faces and catching them off guard, like when a chicken tries to fly when being held. The men let go and Kendall was surged on adrenaline.

He planted a hard kick in the gunman's chest, shoving him to the ground. His hand was caught, bones crunching painfully, and Kendall whirled around to see an angry man.

Kendall smashed his skull into the man's, knocking them both dizzy, but Kendall had no time to stumble. The other man grabbed for him and Kendall grabbed his hand, snapping his arm over his knee.

Now that all three men were writhing in pain and distracted, Kendall hurried to the window, threw his backpack over a shoulder, and bent for James.

"Leave me, I'm dying," James demanded. "You can't fly with me."

"I can't leave you."

* * *

Logan paced the rooftop of the big bank building, worrying.

What if something happened to them? He never got to actually "get with" Kendall, and James was like his baby. If something DID happen to James, Carlos would be destroyed.

"Oh, God, who's hurt?" Carlos asked himself, getting up from the gravel to point to an emerging figure, flying low, wings struggling under the weight of the other person and a backpack. Every few flaps of the wings, the figure would drop a few feet and try to regain height.

Carlos and Logan plunged off of the building, relieving Kendall and allowing him to land on a lower and closer one, dropping the barely-conscious James in the snowy gravel of the rooftop and struggling to his own feet. His wings were burning with lactic acid- it wasn't easy to fly and carry a huge muscly guy, slick from blood- he had only flown with Katie, and she weighed 60 pounds at most.

Carlos landed and immediately got to his knees, pulling James' upper body into his lap.

"I'm- dying," James struggled, lips pale and hazel eyes accepting on Carlos.

Logan landed and didn't even look at Kendall- he, too, went straight for James.

"Logie, you have to help him. He doesn't have much time," Carlos begged, looking up with tearful doe eyes. "It's his arm. He's bleeding out."

"And his shoulder blade," Kendall said, getting to his knees on James' other side. "He was shot."

"We have to flip him," Logan instructed, and James screamed in pain as Kendall and Carlos slowly and gently flipped him to his stomach, James' cheek resting on Carlos' thigh as Carlos stroked his hair soothingly. Kendall went a little dizzy as Logan pulled James' wing back to reveal hole in James' shoulder blade, blood everywhere.

"Snow," Logan instructed. Kendall reached back to grab a handful of pure white, unpolluted snow, and hand it to Logan.

Carefully, Logan pressed the snow to the hole and rubbed a little before tossing it away.

"I have to get the bullet out," Logan said. "On three. One-"

Logan dug his fingers into the wound without even counting to three. Hey- if he had, James would be tense. It was strange, digging into someone's flesh. It was singing hot, very wet and mushy, and made a sickening sound.

James screamed again, Carlos offering the meat of his palm to bite down on, which James accepted.

"Shh, it's okay, baby," Carlos shushed, watching as Logan's fingers closed around the bullet in James' flesh and slowly pulled it out.

"Logan, HURRY," Kendall said, unable to watch the procedure. He DID know that James didn't have much time before he bled out.

Logan dropped the bloody piece of metal into the snow and rubbed his hands together before pressing his palm to the wound, then the other palm to James' bicep, where the bullet had only grazed and made a deep gash. He had no time to clean the wounds- James didn't have long.

James started to shiver as he went into shock. His lips started to go from pale to purple.

A police car whined by, followed by another and another, then an ambulance and a fire truck. Obviously the cops had been alerted of the multiple gunshots in the Holiday Inn.

"Stay with us, James," Logan instructed, watching James fight consciousness. "Almost done."

Logan could feel the tan skin below his palm close up. He wished he could see the process- he bet it looked pretty cool.

Finally Logan rubbed the areas a few times and pulled away, revealing only a circular scar on James' shoulder blade and nothing on his arm.

"Good as new," Carlos said relieved.

"He's in shock, though," Kendall said. "What do we do about that?"

"Lay him on his back. Keep him warm and comfortable and it'll pass," Logan instructed Carlos. Kendall spread one bed spread over the snow and gravel, and James was laid down, Carlos beside him, wing over James like a heated blanket, as the other bedspread was put over them. James shook, teeth chattering, lips purple, as Carlos pulled the blankets over their heads in attempt to make a warm igloo.

Finally Logan could focus on Kendall. The hero.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, stepping close to Kendall to inspect him for blood or bruises.

"My hand's crushed," Kendall admitted, but he loved how concerned Logan seemed. He held the bruising had up, palm up.

Logan took it in gentle and cold hands, which were covered in drying blood, touching Kendall's hand like it was a butterfly with a broken wing. Kendall hissed in pain anyway and Logan looked up at him, concern in his dark eyes.

"I'm okay," Kendall assured. Logan smiled a little and lay the back of the hand in his own palm, then pressed his palm to Kendall's fingers and his fingers to Kendall's palm, starting to heal him.

"You saved James' life, didn't you?"

"No- you did," Kendall said.

"I know that he told you to leave him. So thanks for not doing that."

"He wanted me to go, but the thought of those guys putting a bullet in his head-" Kendall trailed off and sighed. "And I couldn't do that to Carlos. Or you."

Logan smiled just enough to show his dimples.

"It feels weird," Kendall said. "I can feel the bones moving."

Logan grinned and scrunched up his nose in disgust. They kept one another's gaze for a long time until Logan looked down at the hand and rubbed it, pulling away to show a brand new one, except a little smeared with blood from Logan's hands.

Logan gingerly pulled the hand up and ducked to kiss Kendall's palm ever-so-gently before hugging Kendall's torso.

"I'm glad you're okay," he murmured, his arms warm beneath Kendall's wings. He pulled away a little to turn his face up and get to his toes, puckering his lips a little and silently pleading for Kendall to kiss him, because he couldn't reach.

Kendall smirked and connected their lips.

"Maybe we could like… Stick together through this trip," Kendall he said after the kiss. "Or something."

Logan grinned and laid his head on Kendall's shoulder again.

"Well duh."

In the warmth igloo, James clutched the main bone of Carlos' wing, holding onto the warmth. For once, he was so glad that Carlos was a little furnace- 103 degrees of pure energy, plus his wings being hot to the touch.

The white tentacles of Carlos' feathers danced as James breathed heavily, teeth chattering, shaking.

"Are you warming up?" Carlos asked, legs wrapping around James'. James nodded a little, closing his eyes to focus on getting warm.

He rolled to his side, hands going into Carlos' hoodie and shirt to seek warmth there. Carlos squirmed and whined, James' cold hands painful, but he accepted it.

Soon, James stopped shivering and chattering his teeth.

"Jame," Logan's voice rang. "You need to drink this."

Carlos carefully folded one edge of the blanket, not wanting the cold to enter the bubble, and smiled as Logan handed him a little bottle of apple juice. James sat up beside him as Carlos uncapped the bottle and put it in slightly shaking hands.

"To help with blood production," Logan explained. "Lord knows you need a lot of it."

James had twice as much blood in his body as Carlos had as a human. His massive wings constantly pumped pints and pints of steaming hot liquid through them, and his strong heart made sure every vein, capillary, and artery were properly filled. Right now, his wings were numb from loss of blood.

He practically chugged the juice and lay back down, the blankets over he and Carlos.

"Are you better?" Carlos asked cutely.

"Think so."

"Good. I love you."

"I love YOU," James grinned. As a human, he had never seriously said that to anyone. Sure, he dated girls that honestly loved him, and he said it back, no problem. But when he was captured and put in a dog crate beside that cute little Latino, he was automatically defensive of him. He didn't know how, because he was straight as an arrow, but Carlos stole his heart. Maybe science had something to do with it, he didn't know. But saying "I love you" to someone other than his mother felt really good.

_Love, heart, flutter, kiss, love, kiss, cute, James, kiss, love, flutter._

James bent his neck a little to press his lips to Carlos'.

"Sometimes I forget that you literally know what I'm thinking, and I'm amazed at how you know exactly what I want when I want it," Carlos giggled. "It's convenient."

"It's a curse, too. Like right now, Kendall and Logan are kissing, and I know exactly what their lips feel and taste like," James said smartly. "Kendall's a really sloppy kisser."

"I thought he would be."

"Logan is, too, so it's okay."

"Just keep outta their heads when they're fucking," Carlos giggled. "That could get weird."

"We should probably get going to wherever we're off to," James said, confused. "Right?"

"Don't interrupt them. Logie deserves this, after all this time of having to be around with us being mushy, we could be patient with him."

"I guess."

"They're cute."

"You're cute."

Carlos paused then cracked a grin, letting out a boyish giggle.

"Oh, YOU."

* * *

**Awe, I love the Jarlos in this. They're like casual best friends, but they get to kiss and cuddle and stuff. :) I guess that's the best kind of relationship right there, right?**


	6. Trouble

**Awe, I'm so glad you guys are anxious for updates now! :)**

**This chapter's pretty intense, I gotta say, and I love it. :D Know what else it intense? Camping. *buh-dum-CHHH!* Get it? Cause you camp IN TENTS? Yeah? No. Okay.**

* * *

James, Carlos, and Logan stood back in the snow, watching as Kendall climbed the ladder of the tree house and started putting in a code to a little padlock on the trapdoor to get in. There were four number wheels across the lock, and the wheels turned and clicked to unlock it.

Kendall was positive he knew the combination- 0423, which was Katie's birthday. That didn't work. He tried his own birthday, then his father's, then his mother's, and neither of those worked. He hadn't been in the house for months.

"Are you getting it?" Logan asked, worried.

Kendall angrily gripped the icy lock and jiggled it, more to take out his anger than anything.

"I don't think he's getting it," Carlos said.

Kendall looked up at the strong wood of the trapdoor, trying to measure whether he could break it or not. He probably shouldn't try- there would be a big hole in the middle of the tree house if he did. He knew James could probably break it, but he decided against asking.

"There's lock cutters in the garage," he said, climbing down from the ladder.

"Great. Let's go to the garage," Logan shrugged.

"The problem is, there might be cops at the house. It's risky."

"There's a HOUSE and we're staying here?" James squeaked. "What the hell?"

"My fucking family was murdered in that house," Kendall snapped. Logan's eyes widened and he patted Kendall's shoulder to calm him.

"There are police at the house, investigating the murder. We can't get caught there."

James and Carlos were silent, feeling bad about Kendall's family.

"But the storm's already starting," Logan said smartly, gesturing to the snowflakes whisking in the air. "Maybe they won't be there."

"You and James stay here, Carlos will come with me," Kendall said sternly.

"What? No! I wanna go," Logan persisted.

"We need to get in and out- I don't need distractions."

"I won't distract you!" Logan whined.

"I need you to stay here and see if you can crack the lock," Kendall compromised. He knew Logan wouldn't be able to do it, but he needed Logan to think he had a purpose here. "James'll stay for protection, and I need a partner. So let's roll, Carlos."

* * *

James heaved his huge deep brown wings, trying to avoid branches as he looked into the window of the tree house, but the glare was too bright.

"Can you see anything?" Logan asked from the ladder, where he was pouting and messing with the lock.

"No- I can't get close enough and there's a glare," James sighed, dropping to the snow again. "You know you can't crack that lock, right?"

"Does he think I'll be loud? Or that I'll leave a trail? Why didn't he want me along?" Logan asked angrily, giving up on the lock and looking down at his friend.

"He wanted you here because he trusts me to protect you more than he trusts himself," James said like it was obvious. "He wants you safe."

"I can defend myself!"

"He doesn't know that yet. He barely knows you. Besides- it's not good to be glued to each other all the time the way Los and I are. You need breaks and separation. And Kendall needs to make bonds with Los and me and test how much he can trust us."

"But I like him," Logan pouted.

"He'll be right back and you can spend every second of every day with him from then on," James reasoned. He had to say, it was nice to be away from Carlos, even for just a little while. He loved Carlos' clinginess and affection, but it was good to spend bro-time with Logan.

* * *

It wasn't until Kendall's feet were firmly planted on the snowy ground behind the garage that he realized that they couldn't walk here. Their footprints would give them away, and although it didn't really matter, anyone could see which direction they came from. So Carlos had to perch on the top of the garage as Kendall went into it to get him gloves to protect fingerprints. Kendall had a little experience with hovering low, but Carlos could barely fly as it was- he knew he couldn't.

"Go inside and grab as much food as possible. But leave everything like it was," Kendall said sternly as Carlos slipped work gloves over his hands. They found that there was nobody at the house and that there was caution tape around it, but it was otherwise unsecured. "Don't get your fingerprints anywhere and step in the footprints that're already there."

Carlos took he house key and garbage bag Kendall offered him and saluted.

"I won't let you down, sir," he said before flying off. Kendall smirked and turned to the garage, which he had opened to get the gloves out. His fingerprints were everywhere anyway- what did a few more matter?

Carlos silently slipped into the back door, the key dropping into his back pocket as he entered the slightly-warmer-than-outside house. He was dispersed directly into a kitchen, caution tape connecting the fridge to the counter, blocking off the whole kitchen.

His hand clapped to his mouth to contain a scream or a gasp or SOMETHING when he saw what the tape was blocking off.

There was the outline of a body chalked on the linoleum, the body having been spread-eagle in the center. There was no blood or weapons or anything- just the chalk outline.

He quietly stepped over the caution tape, avoiding the space where someone died- it looked like a small frame, but not small enough to be a kid. Maybe a woman? He reached for the handle of a cabinet and almost puked when he saw that the cabinet and wallpaper of the kitchen in that area were spattered with blood.

"I can't do this," Carlos whispered to himself, covering his mouth to keep from puking this time. He moved to an unspattered cabinet.

The cabinet creaked, but he guessed it didn't really matter, did it?

"Jackpot," he whispered to himself, eyes wide and repulse forgotten. He stuffed boxes of cookies and cereal and every sugary snack he loved into the bag. He carefully closed the cabinet and moved on to another.

* * *

Out in the garage, Kendall let his tears spill as he stared at the tools on the wall. Those tools were painful for him- he and his dad used them to fix up a moped for Katie's birthday, which she never received and was never fully fixed.

He sighed and wiped his face after a while and grabbed the strong metal clippers from the wall before weaving his way through parts and a car and tools to exit.

He heard the familiar sound of a car on the long gravel driveway, which meant in about five seconds, someone would park out front.

* * *

Carlos was wondering to the living room, staring at the outline of a big figure- a man- framed by caution tape and stains of brown in the white carpet. Brown also stained the wallpaper beside him. He didn't know who all was in Kendall's family, but it repulsed him that a person died there- was shot, by the looks of it, and maybe from the door.

He heard the sound of car doors slamming and ducked to look out the window.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," he hissed, keeping low and scampering up the nearby stairs. Funny- he had always yelled at people in scary movies for trapping themselves upstairs when running from a killer, but now he was doing just that.

The door was opened just as Carlos disappeared at the top of the stairs.

"Search the house up and down. Alarms don't go off for no reason- something got in," an unfamiliar voice said.

"Or someONE," said another voice.

Alarm? No alarm went off. Maybe they had a silent alarm. Kendall didn't warn him about that!

"Maybe the killer came back to cover his tracks," the first voice agreed. "So have your gun ready."

The sound of guns cocking sounded, scaring the living snot out of Carlos. He knew that these men had probably been at the scene a thousand times and knew every little detail of it- he couldn't give himself away for anything, or they would know.

Panicked, he ran silently to the end of the hallway, holding the bag of food clear away from his feet. He scampered into the bedroom there, not even closing the door.

The room inside was destroyed- drawers torn open and contents everywhere. It was a boy's room, and Carlos knew it was Kendall's by the dark grey feathers in the bed. He went to the closet, but stopped when he saw more caution tape there, more blood on the white walls, another outline. A child. A little stuffed animal lay there beside it, untouched for a reason.

Carlos' hand silently slapped to his mouth, containing a whimper. A child had hidden in that closet. Its parents had yelled at it to run and hide before they were shot. The child hid in its older brother's closet, counting on its older brother to protect it.

Someone arrived at the top of the stairs and Carlos panicked, searching for anywhere to hide.

* * *

Kendall crouched low on the snowy rooftop, looking into Katie's room and finding nobody. He knew Carlos went upstairs- he watched from the back door. He didn't like that his prints were in the snow on the roof, but he figured this was a puzzle that the cops couldn't guess in a billion years anyway.

He wanted to climb into his baby sister's room and get her little stuffed moose- she loved that thing to bits. But he didn't see it in there, which was strange. Besides- he HAD to leave everything the way it was. Then again, the cops would see the footprints on the roof, unidentified fingerprints on the windowsill, and see that only the stuffed moose was gone. Figure THAT.

He swiftly scampered to the other window across the roof and peered in.

His heart exploded when he saw a gunman in there- a police officer. He couldn't get caught- he would be taken to a lab or something. The gunman faced away from the window and Kendall peered in again.

He had to cover his mouth to keep from sobbing.

There, in his closet, was caution tape and an outline of a tiny body. Dried blood stained the white carpet and walls and clothes in the closet. There, beside the bloodstain and outline, was the moose. Its body was dark brown, but the tan nose and antlers were spattered and stained dark brown with blood.

Katie was killed in there.

His lip quivered and he ducked out of view, thinking of how scared she must have been.

* * *

_Kendall's dad was the first to get shot. He opened the door to let the gunmen in and immediately recognized his mistake. He tried to protect his family, but it didn't work._

_His mom was in the kitchen cleaning. She heard the shot and the thud of her husband to the carpet and knew there was no escape. But maybe there was for her children._

_"WHERE'S THE BOY?!" a man yelled as he and two others entered and pointed their guns at her. They were after Kendall. How did they find out about him? Who WERE they?_

_Her eyes flicked to an innocent little face peering into the kitchen. No. Katie had to find Kendall. Kendall had to protect her. That was the plan._

_"K-Katie, find Kendall," she whispered. Katie was gone before the gunmen could see her._

_"WHERE'S THE BOY?!"_

_The second, third, and fourth gunshots lit a fire beneath Kendall as he continued stuffing things into his pack. His father had gone through this with him. If someone came for him, he was to take Katie and get the hell out. But there were four gunshots now, and he was positive one was Katie. He zipped up his backpack, eyes full of tears, and went for the window._

_Katie was in the closet, counting on her big brother to protect her. He didn't even know she was in there- if he had, he would have taken her with him. He would have fought to the death for her. Maybe she would have a chance if she had just said "Kenny, I'm in your closet!" but no, she hadn't made a peep as she watched her brother stuff things into a backpack._

_Maybe she hadn't said anything because she was protecting him._

_She didn't want her brother to be slowed down by trying to save her- he had to get out._

_She clutched her moose to her chest, waiting in the dark. Maybe the men wouldn't search for HER. Maybe they didn't know about her. She imagined Kendall standing outside of the closet, wings and arms spread over the door, chin up, body made of steal. She imagined her brother holding her against his chest and rocking her, his wings wrapped around them, stroking her hair and waiting with bravery, having some type of plan if the men came and found them._

_But instead, she watched him leave through the crack in the door. She was going to get up and go after him, but she heard the men coming up the stairs. They would both get caught if she came out now._

_"Don't worry about me, Baby Sister," she remembered him saying once, "I'm already an angel. Nothing can happen to me. I'm here to protect YOU."_

_She heard the men enter the room._

_Katie closed her eyes and rolled into a tighter ball, imagining Kendall holding her, shushing her, telling her it wasn't so bad being an angel- it was actually really fun. He would fly her to heaven to get her wings, and they would be angels together._

_Kendall had lifted off and was clear away when he heard the shrill scream and the last gunshot. His wings almost gave out and smashed him to the ground at the realization that he had failed his baby sister. He was her protector- her "guardian angel". He was the one she knew would fight to the death for her. And he failed her. _

* * *

The police officer turned toward the door, something catching his eye and making him turn again.

There, against the white wall, were a set of… White angel wings?

Maybe they were a Halloween prop or something, but he had never noticed them before. He put his fingers on the trigger of his handgun and stepped toward the thing. He was about to nudge it with his foot when suddenly he changed his mind got a strange hunkering for donuts. Why would he waste his time on this thing if he could go get donuts, right?

Carlos heard the officer leave and he chanced a peek.

He had no escape, so last minute he had curled up against the wall and covered himself with his white wings, hoping to God nobody would notice. He didn't know if the police officer saw him or not, but he was crazy nervous and needed the guy to leave. So he made him.

He saw that nobody was in the room, so he folded up his wings, deciding to wait a minute before moving.

"I guess the system's acting up from the cold or something," he heard one officer say downstairs.

* * *

Kendall smirked a little through his tears when he saw Carlos' camouflage cover folding against his back. He hadn't seen him, covered with his white wings against the white wall. It was obvious now, but he had been invisible to anyone who wasn't looking for him.

He tapped once on the glass with his fingernail, catching Carlos' attention. Carlos grinned and winked, silently getting up and grabbing his bag, which blended in with the destroyed room, from where Kendall thrashed around to gather things to take and then the gunmen destroyed everything while looking for Katie.

_Don't think about Katie. Don't think about Mom or Dad, just think about Carlos._

Carlos went to the window and made to open it. Kendall, knowing that the window was squeaky, shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips. Carlos nodded and mocked him, waiting.

* * *

"I guess it wasn't a car after all," James said to Logan, ten minutes after cocking his head and saying he thought he heard a car. "I coulda sworn."

"I guess if it was, we woulda heard some gunshots or something," Logan nodded. "But where are they?"

"I hear them," James smiled, turning his head to the hill to the left of the tree house. His smile dropped as soon as he realized that those voices didn't belong to their boyfriends.

"Shit, shit, shit," Logan hissed, jumping up. James followed, but it was too late to do anything- the men had already topped the hill.

"Don't let them see your wings," James whispered.

"Follow my lead- I have an idea."

"What?"

"Just trust me."

"Hey! This is private property!" an officer called as they neared.

"Follow my lead," Logan reiterated before smiling and waving at the men. "Good afternoon!"

"You boys know that this is private property, right?" the head officer said.

"Hello, sirs," Logan said charmingly. "My name's Tim and this is my brother, Parker. This is our tree house- we were just coming down before the storm gets too bad, because we left our BB guns here."

"This tree house is on the Knight's property."

"We live in the house up that way," Logan said, vaguely gesturing behind them. "Mr. and Mrs. Knight used to own this area, but our parents bought it from them. This is our property."

"Do you have a warrant to be on our property?" James asked smartly.

"You boys don't LOOK like brothers."

"Wow, are you here to call my mom a whore? Because I don't think it's any of your business," James said with mock politeness.

"What's your last name?"

"Does it matter?" Logan asked.

"I don't like your attitudes."

"Look, sir, Officer Downy," Logan read on the nametag, "My brother and I were just coming to our tree house to get our BB guns. We weren't looking for trouble," Logan said soothingly.

"You boys weren't by chance up at the Knight house just a few minutes ago, were you?"

"No, sir," James said honestly.

"Did you know the Knight's?"

"No, sir, not past where the property lines are," Logan said, shaking his head.

"Alright, boys. But keep safe- we wouldn't want what happened to the Knight's to happen to your family, too."

"Thank you, sir, and if we come across anything suspicious, we'll call," James said.

"Be careful," the officer said, looking up at the tree house, not seeing that Carlos and Kendall were lying across the top, quiet as church mice. Nobody had even noticed them land. "I bet that ladder's slick."

"Yes, sir," Logan nodded.

* * *

Carlos and Kendall waited for Logan's OK before dropping down from the top of the tree house.

"Okay, big guy, you can let it out now," Carlos said as he released his emotional influence on Kendall to let him be a mess again. What? They couldn't have Kendall sobbing and blow their cover! He HAD to do it!

"It's all my fault!" Kendall whaled, slamming himself into Logan. James silently took the metal clippers from Kendall's hands and made his way to the ladder to break the lock. "Katie coulda lived if I just LOOKED IN THE CLOSET!"

Logan, confused, hugged Kendall, rubbing his back awkwardly.

"She died in my closet! She was SHOT. She was just a baby! She counted on ME to protect her and I let her die!" Kendall sobbed, sinking with Logan to the snow. "Why didn't she go after me before I left? Why didn't she say something?"

"Maybe she was protecting YOU."

"That's my job! I was her guardian angel!"

"Shhh, Kendall, it's okay."

"She musta been so scared!"

"Shhh," Logan shushed soothingly.

"C-can you heal broken hearts?"

Logan sat silently, rubbing Kendall's back as he sobbed into his shoulder. Logan watched as James cut the lock and it fell to the snow, and he reached up to push the trap door up and open. Carlos started handing things up to him to put in the tree house.

"I always told her not to worry about me," Kendall said, calmer now. "That I was an angel, and nothing could hurt me. She believed every word. She really thought I was an angel. It doesn't make sense for her to try to protect me and sacrifice herself."

"Maybe she was smarter than you thought," Logan reasoned.

"I remember hearing Mom yell at her to find me. She knew I would protect her. Then there were three gunshots, and I assumed they accounted for Mom and Katie. So I didn't even look for Katie before I left."

Logan had no idea what to say. He thought back to the movies he's seen. Normally either something interrupted them- which wasn't happening- or the comforter shared a relatable story.

"When I was seven, my dad was killed in the Army with a bunch of others in an explosion. For the longest time, I thought it was my fault that he died. I remember crying and crying, telling my mom that it was my fault, because I didn't pray for him one night, when I fell asleep on the couch," Logan said, hearing Kendall subside to sniffles. "I wasn't crazy close with him- he was in the Army most of my life and I didn't see him much, but when he DID come home, I remember he brought me gifts and took me places and made sure I knew that he loved me. So I felt horrible for killing him. But my mom told me something that I've held onto for every bad thing that's happened to me."

"What did she say?"

"She said that everything happens for a reason."

Kendall was silent.

"Years and years later found out that my dad raped my mom when he was drunk and they were dating, and so I was born."

"What?" Kendall retorted, astonished, NOT seeing that coming.

"I never questioned why they weren't married, didn't live together, and I never suspected that he would do such a horrible thing. I guess maybe if I saw him now, I might, but back then, my dad was Superman to me," Logan said simply. "I guess it's good that at least he didn't leave me. He was still part of my life. And to his defense, he WAS drunk, but that's no excuse. My mom told me that she was glad he raped her, in a twisted way, because she got me out of it."

Kendall was silent, shocked.

"But the moral of the story is that everything happens for a reason. Maybe my dad died because of what he did to my mom. And maybe Katie and your family died because you had to live. Maybe it wasn't choice that Katie stayed- maybe it was fate."

"I'd rather they lived instead."

"I know. But you were supposed to live. For some reason. Or maybe it's a bunch of bullshit. Either way, you can't blame yourself- you didn't know she was there."

Kendall snuggled deeper into Logan silent, thinking about what was said.

"Are you cold?" Logan asked softly.

"Yeah."

"Let's go up in the tree house and snuggle with a blanket," Logan whispered mischievously, getting a choked laugh from Kendall and he nodded.

* * *

**I'm so glad that you guys like this and that you review and support it. :D Love you guys!**


	7. Love

Carlos and James sat on a snowy limb, James picking apart a pinecone and Carlos looking out over the snow-covered woods, so tranquil and quiet.

"Where did you move to Texas from?" James asked, hazel eyes fixed on the pinecone.

"Oklahoma," Carlos said, looking over at his boyfriend. "Everyone there was dark-skinned, so we fit in. There were Indians- like the American kind- and Mexicans. We aren't either of those, but we fit in."

"Were you popular at your school?"

Carlos realized that James knew minimal about his past and vice-versa.

"Not really, but I think everyone knew my name. We were a class of like fifty, so of course they did," Carlos said. "What about you?"

"Oh yeah," James smirked, turning to look at his boyfriend. "I was like the star football player. Every girl wanted me, every guy wanted to be me."

"Were you a jerk?"

"Yeah. But secretly I helped people pick up their books in the hall and held doors for people. It was all an act- I don't know why I wanted people to think I was a dick," James said.

"Did you know Logan?"

"We grew up in the same class, but we were a class of two hundred fifty or something, so I never really knew him. He was a band geek, I was a jock. Of course I didn't pay attention to him," James shrugged. "I never thought I'd be caught in such a mess with HIM."

"Were you a whore?"

James was silent, contemplating telling Carlos the truth or not. Carlos watched him, waiting for an answer, forcing James to feel guilty for lying if he did (literally FORCING him to).

"Yeah."

An image flashed into Carlos' mind that James saw, an extremely graphic one of a long-haired younger James doing nasty things with a strange girl.

"I was a different person in high school. I guess such a serious situation knocks the stupid out of you," James said, looking down at the snowy forest floor below them. "I don't think you'd like the old me."

"You were the kinda guy that would steal every single one of my girlfriends from me," Carlos said with a smirk, looking out over the peaceful snow falling.

"Yeah. But not anymore."

"Do you have STD's?" Carlos asked. Although they had been together for a while, they had never gotten the chance to make love.

"No- I was a good boy and used protection. There's a reason behind that, actually."

"Story time!" Carlos smiled.

"It was the summer between sophomore and junior year," James said in a storyteller's voice. "And I banged this chick I was dating at a party. Well once school started, she told me she thought she was pregnant, and the whole school knew about it, and that I was the dad."

Carlos' face turned serious.

"Do you have a kid?" he asked.

"Nope."

Carlos' eyes widened.

_Abortion, kill, baby, abortion, baby-_

"No! Los, no, she didn't abort the baby! No!" James said quickly, reading his boyfriend's thoughts. "No, it turned out that she wasn't pregnant after all."

"Good," Carlos said in relief.

"No, I was ready to accept the consequences and raise a baby at 16, but I was relieved that I didn't have to," James said frankly.

"So how many girls would you say you plowed?"

"What about YOU, Los?"

"I asked first."

James sighed and started to think. He didn't want to LIE to Carlos about his number- Carlos already knew he was a whore. At the same time, he knew Carlos wouldn't like the answer.

"In the year between summer before junior year and summer before senior year…" James began, still thinking. "I'd say 15 to 20 girls."

"Damn," Carlos said, as if he was impressed.

"What about you? I bet you were sweet, virgin Losy, weren't you?"

"Nooooo."

"Your hand doesn't count, baby," James teased, shouldering his boyfriend.

"Technically I've had sex three times, but-"

"All with the same girl," James finished, reading Carlos' mind.

"There's nothing wrong with making LOVE with someone you feel LOVE for," Carlos retorted good-naturedly. "Her name was Kita and she was Cherokee."

James giggled and shook his head.

"Had some nice jugs, too," Carlos noted, making James laugh harder. Carlos grinned and rolled his eyes. "How did we end up gay? That's my main question. Were you ever even REMOTELY gay?"

"Nope."

"Me either. Do you think… The lab MADE us gay?"

"No. If they did, don't you think it would be an instant thing? And they would be checking on us, maybe made us have sex, observed us together. I don't think the scientists even knew about us."

Carlos nodded in agreement and lay his head on James' shoulder.

"Do you think we're safe here?" he asked softly.

"I don't think that Kendall would bring us here if we weren't," James answered. "He's serious about Logie and he knows that we're important to him."

"Yeah."

"But I'm always on-guard. Always ready to fight to the death to keep you safe."

"Awe," Carlos melted.

"I know, I know," James smirked.

* * *

The tree house was nice enough for four teen boys to live in for a while, but it wasn't luxury.

It smelled like cedar inside, but it was about twenty degrees warmer in there than it was outside. The windows were made of junkyard car windows and the roof was tin. The floor, like the rest of the tree house, was wood but had an old rug on it. There were two old camp chairs, a map of Minnesota pinned on the wall, a box of old fossils and bullet shells and other "treasures" Kendall and Katie had found. A few makeshift shelves were nailed to the walls, sporting old comic books and magazines (and a nudey magazine, which was hidden in a car magazine).

Kendall sat against the wall, a bedspread wrapped around him and Logan. He loved the way Logan's hair tickled his chin and how they really didn't talk, they just sat there. It was a calm and quiet pleasure and it kept them both warm, the thick blanket keeping the impossible body heat from them both in their bubble.

They had soon figured, after an hour of all four being in the tree house with the trapdoor closed, that heating in their living space was no issue. All with body temperatures in the hundreds, it didn't take long for the tree house to heat up, the dirty car windows fogging over.

"Would you just do it already?" Kendall whispered deviously.

"Do what?"

"I think you're forgetting that I can physically FEEL you wanting to kiss me."

Logan grinned and pulled his head up to Kendall's for Kendall to kiss him.

"I've just never had this with someone. Where I can touch them and kiss them and stuff," Logan said after the kiss.

"You've never had a girlfriend?"

"I was the little gay band geek who was completely in the closet," Logan smirked, blushing.

"You were gay?"

"Were you?"

"I didn't know- I had never touched someone other than my family."

"James was a whore in high school. We grew up together, but he didn't really know me. He had a pregnancy scare once junior year. Carlos was straight, too, but he hadn't had a chance to go to school with us yet. But I was gay."

"Did you ever have a boyfriend, then?"

"There weren't many gay boys that I knew of, and I was too shy to talk to the ones that I DID know of, even if I wanted to."

"So… Had you ever done ANYTHING with ANYONE before?"

"I kissed Emily Hitchcock's cheek in second grade."

"I was your first real kiss? And you were almost a senior in high school?" Kendall retorted.

"I was yours, too!"

"Yeah, but I never even TOUCHED another person!"

"Don't be mean!"

"I'm not being MEAN. I think it's cute," Kendall said reassuringly. "And you can kiss me anytime you want."

"Nuh-uh. You're a giant- I can't even reach you."

Kendall laughed and shook his head.

"How does Carlos do it?" he asked.

"He doesn't! James reads his mind and kisses him before Los even knows he WANTS a kiss," Logan laughed.

"Well I can sorta do that, too. We'll figure it out."

* * *

"Fucking SHIT," James' grunt cut through the dead silence of the dark tree house that night as everyone tried to sleep. "Can we open a fucking window or something? It's like an OVEN in here!"

The boys had already broken apart from their cuddle partners to lay flat on the ground, trying to cool off.

"Windows don't open and Los sleepwalks- he'll fall out of the trapdoor if it's open," Logan said, sitting up.

"We could just take off all our clothes," Kendall smirked.

"Oh, haha, Kendall, you're so fucking cute," James said sarcastically. "I'm gonna go lay in the snow or something."

"I thought it was funny," Carlos said reassuringly to Kendall as James dropped out of the trapdoor. "He just gets REALLY moody when he's tired. And I don't know why he complains about ME. He's like a hundred and seventy degrees, and I never say anything."

"He's just being a diva," Logan smirked, crawling over to the trap door and peeking his head down to see James literally lying in the icy snow, snowflakes drifting onto him.

Carlos smirked, seeing the way Kendall's eyes lingered on Logan's little butt in the air, but quickly shifted guiltily.

"I saw that, you dirty boy," Carlos said deviously. "You're ALLOWED to look at that, you know."

Before Kendall could say anything, Logan was sitting up, looking at them, the cold air from the door blowing his hair a little.

"Were you looking at my ass, Los?" he smirked.

"We both were," Carlos nodded with a shrug. Logan grinned and rolled his eyes at Kendall, crawling back over to him and cuddling into him. "You guys, man, you're so cute and I just wanna pinch your cheeks."

"Which cheeks?" Logan smirked, sending Kendall into rich laughter and making Carlos fall back as he giggled.

James came hurrying up the ladder and to Carlos. Maybe laying in the snow wasn't a good idea- now his back was FREEZING. He pulled Carlos up to sit and spread his legs, sitting himself between Carlos' legs and pressing his back to Carlos' warm chest.

"Mmm, I could get used to this," Carlos sang.

"Shut up, my back's frozen," James groaned.

"That's what happens when you LAY in the SNOW," Logan retorted.

"Now I'm cold," James pouted.

"Poor baby," Carlos smirked, kissing the back of James' neck and hugging him. James loved that he was Carlos' very best friend and still he got the advantage of his kisses and hugs and love. Yeah, it's pretty cool in his book.

Carlos' cheek pressed to his boyfriend's warming shoulder. Personally, he loved the high temperature of James' body. The 105 degrees practically burned him every time they made skin-to-skin contact, but when they cuddled beneath blankets it made a warm little bubble around them. James, obviously, hated that bubble, but Carlos loved it.

Logan looked up at Kendall's eyes, meticulous on the other couple.

"Maybe someday we could be like them," Logan said, making Kendall smile and look down at him.

"Like what?"

"In love."

Kendall's heart fluttered and he went to kiss Logan, but was interrupted.

"OW! You prick! No biting!"

Logan jumped and they both looked over to see James sitting on Carlos now, Carlos giggling and wiggling as James pressed the side of his face into the floor.

"So in love," Kendall smirked.

Carlos was trying to talk, but he was laughing too hard.

"They do this all the time," Logan laughed, lying back in his spot. Kendall followed and snuggled into Logan's warm body.

"Nooo!" Carlos laughed as James started to tickle him. "I can't breathe!"

"You bit me! Now I'm gonna be a vampire!"

"I'm sorry!"

"JAMES! STOP IT!" Logan snapped, making James pout and take his hands from Carlos' sides.

* * *

**I think this story's gonna be a lot shorter than my other ones, just cause I have no idea what I'm doing with it. Hope you like it anyway and if you have ideas you can totally just PM or review it. :) This was just a fluffy chapter.**


	8. Disease

**Dear "A friend"- Awe, you're sweet, and thanks for your idea! :D If you're into this type of story, I have another one called "Feathers" and its sequel, "Needles", if you wanna check that out. :)**

* * *

Kendall was startled awake by a hearty, thick cough echoing through the warm tree house. He opened his eyes and looked around, seeing that the dim white light coming from the windows suggested it was afternoon.

James was sitting up, hacking miserably, wrapped in the dirty white hotel bedspread.

"You okay?" Kendall whispered after he finished.

"I'm fine," James said, his voice thick with mucus. "Go back to sleep."

"You sound sick."

"I feel like death."

Kendall saw that Carlos was sleeping peacefully, not even threatening to wake up, and Logan lay behind him, stirring a little. He reached out to shake Logan awake.

"Nooo," Logan groaned, rolling away.

"Logan, James is dying. C'mon," Kendall said, shaking the boy.

"Dying?" Logan asked frankly.

"Just go back to sleep," James said and immediately Logan sat up, confused, not knowing whose voice said that.

"Yeah, that's not normal," Logan said, realizing that the deepened and snotty voice was James'.

"Logie I feel like death," James said pitifully, wiping his dripping nose on his hoodie sleeve.

"Shhhh, Los is trying to sleep!" Carlos hissed to his friends, only partly awake.

Logan crawled over to sit on his knees in front of James. He tried laying a hand on his forehead to test temperature, but immediately jerked it away, James' skin literally singeing him.

"So I assume you have a really high fever because I think my hand's gonna blister," Logan said, waving his hand to cool it. James put his hand to his forehead, shrugging.

"I don't feel anything."

Logan thought that it must be dangerous for James' body to be that hot. He was already overly warm, but add a fever to that and it may just be fatal.

"What's going on with you?" Logan asked.

"My head is all stopped up and snotty at the same time, and my throat kinda hurts and I have a disgusting cough. Oh, and I'm freezing my balls off, so…"

Kendall watched Logan analyze the information, coming up empty.

"I can see that you're worried," James said quickly. "But you don't have to be. I just need to rest for a while and I'll get over this."

"I don't know how we deal with illness, though. None of us have ever been sick," Logan persisted. He looked over at Kendall, worry on his face. "How are YOU when you're sick?"

"I don't really get sick a lot… But when I do… It's bad. It takes like a week to even start getting better, and that's with medicine."

"Hey! What's with all the yelling?" Carlos snapped, sitting up beside James.

"We aren't yelling," James snapped back playfully.

"James is sick," Kendall explained.

"Awe," Carlos pouted, going to cuddle up to James, but James caught his face and shoved it backward, making Carlos topple over. No matter how much James wanted to have Carlos cuddle him and warm him up, he couldn't risk him getting sick, too.

"DON'T get in my air. Nobody else needs to get this," James said sternly as Carlos sat back up.

"I guess we should go to a drug store and get medicine," Logan said.

"What drug store?" Kendall asked. "There isn't one for miles, and if there WAS, it would be closed for the storm."

"We have to do SOMETHING," Logan jabbed. "What if he dies?"

"DIES?" Carlos squeaked. "Kendall!"

"I'll be okay," James assured everyone. "Just stay outta my bubble and let me sleep and I'll fight it off in no time."

"Your forehead BURNED me," Logan said frankly, holding up his hand to show where it was starting to blister.

"So let's get him outside," Kendall suggested.

"But I'm so cold," James whined.

"We just need to get your skin cooled off enough for me to be able to touch it. I may be able to heal this- it's a long shot, but our only one."

* * *

"Carlos, if you're gonna be touching him, you seriously can't be touching your eyes and mouth and stuff," Logan said sternly, holding James' clothes.

James stood in the snow in only boxers and shoes, shivering and steaming in the cold air. Carlos was smoothing down his boyfriend's warm feathers and hair like a mother cat grooming her kitten.

"How do you feel?" Carlos asked.

"Cold and miserable."

"Poor baby," Carlos pouted, looking over at Logan and Kendall. "He should go to a doctor."

"What doctor?" Logan asked frankly.

"He needs medicine!"

"Just let ME try to take care of this before we think of other things," Logan compromised. "How's his temp?"

Carlos pressed his palm to James' forehead and whimpered, pulling back.

"Hot, but not AS hot," he said.

"That's why you use the BACK of your hand," Kendall said sternly.

Logan bent to pick up snow in both hands, pressing it to James' chest and making it sizzle before pressing his hands to his chest.

"I don't know what I'm doing, and I doubt this'll work," Logan said quickly, not wanting to get burnt. HE closed his eyes, concentrating on something he couldn't name, willing James' fever to break at least.

Kendall watched meticulously, somewhat expecting life to suddenly burst into James and put the glow back in his face and smile on his lips.

"Anything?" Carlos asked after a minute.

"I think I'm feeling a little-" James burst into a fit of ugly coughing.

"FUCK," Logan growled, whirling away as James keeled over and Carlos patted his back.

"Logan!" Kendall said in surprise.

"It's getting worse. What do I do?" Logan asked, pacing.

"Just let him rest."

"He made the snow SIZZLE! And he's miserable! He needs medicine before he DIES," Logan retorted.

"How does this even happen?" James asked miserably.

"I bet it's from where I had to put my fingers in you to get the bullet. There must have been some virus strands on my hands."

Kendall didn't know anything about medicine, but he knew Logan did, and if Logan was worried about this, it must be serious. He physically FELT Logan's worry, felt the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. HE felt the same thing from Carlos and James…

"There's a hospital a few miles away," he spoke up. He raised his eyes to the sky, the snow temporarily slowing. "But we can't all fly in the snow."

"I'm not leaving his side," Carlos said sternly.

"I know more about this than any of you, and you have to show us the way. So we're all going," Logan said.

"It's dangerous."

Logan shrugged and gave James' clothes to him to get redressed.

* * *

The boys landed in front of the emergency room entrance, James stumbling and almost falling, Carlos hurrying to support him. It had been hard for James to fly and he almost fell a few times, the high altitude not helping at all.

"I'm dying," James said miserably.

"It's okay, Jame, it'll be okay," Carlos assured with a little smile as they followed Logan and Kendall into the warm hospital.

Kendall and Logan walked up to the main desk.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the woman behind the desk asked, sporting a rose-colored aura.

"My friend is really sick," Logan said.

"Symptoms?"

"Everything you can imagine," Kendall said. "Except puking."

"Name?"

"James Diamond," Logan said. Kendall gave him a look, wondering why he hadn't given a fake name, but Logan didn't see.

The woman looked warily at James, half asleep on Carlos' shoulder, Carlos' eyes wondering.

"Have a seat, it'll be a few minutes," she said, pushing a clipboard and pen with a paper on it toward them.

The boys sat in chairs of the waiting room, James shifting from Carlos' shoulder to Kendall's.

"You're taller," James said, eyes closed. "It's more comfy."

"Well fine," Carlos grumbled, looking down at the form for James. He didn't know EVERYTHING about James, but he knew the most of all of them, save James.

Kendall looked up at Logan, pacing anxiously in front of them.

"Logan? Please sit," he pleaded. "I can feel everything you're ALL feeling, and I don't like it."

"Can you feel my death?" James asked.

"Thankfully not."

James sniffled and coughed a little, wiping his nose on his hoodie sleeve. He felt HORRIBLE. His nose was leaking, his throat hurt, he had a cough, he was weak and dizzy, and he had the chills like no other. How did this happen over night?

Logan huffed and sat beside Kendall, leg bouncing anxiously. He took a deep breath and looked around and the "calming" blue walls, the stained chairs, the children's toys in the center, the obsolete magazines, and the TV playing Dr. Phil. There was nobody else in the room, so he guessed it wouldn't take long for them to be checked out.

Kendall reached over and wove his fingers with Logan's in Logan's lap, giving him a little supportive smile. Logan had to smile back, loving how Kendall was the rock here, letting James sleep on him and comforting Logan.

"He'll be fine," Kendall assured.

Logan took in a deep breath and let it out with a nod.

"James?" an old nurse asked in the doorway to the emergency room, Kendall seeing a dead and grey aura around her.

"C'mon, baby," Carlos said, getting up and helping and half-asleep James to his feet. He gave the mostly-blank form to the nurse as they all followed her.

* * *

Within minutes of lying in the bed, James was snoring loudly. He was given a lot of blankets to cuddle into as he waited. Carlos sat on the floor against the wall, Kendall in a chair, Logan pacing again.

"Looogan," Kendall whined. "Sit."

"Sit where?"

Kendall looked around, seeing that there was nowhere but the floor. He smirked and patted his lap before snagging Logan's hand and pulling him down to sit.

"ReLAX," he said as Logan got comfortable and leaned back against his chest. "Everything's okay."

"I never got a chance to figure out the whole publicity thing. I don't know if this is good or bad- there's no HIDING our wings, and there's no hiding his crazy temperature. If he was human, he would be dead."

"Why didn't you give a fake name?" Kendall asked.

"I didn't think about it," Logan sighed. "Is that bad?"

"I guess not… Other than now they know that one of the bird kids' name is James Diamond. What if that gets to Texas? What will happen?"

"Then they'll have to see us, too, and they'll recognize us," Logan said in realization. "THEN what?"

"I guess we'll see…"

"This hospital smells like the lab," Carlos said from the wall. "It's making me nervous."

"We're safe," Kendall assured.

"Probably," Logan grumbled.

A doctor strolled in, closing the door behind her. Kendall immediately noticed, like with all strangers, a light blue aura- she was okay. Logan got up reluctantly.

"Hello," the doctor smiled, picking up James' entry form. "I'm Dr. Zollman. And I guess that's James?"

"That's James," Logan nodded as the woman went to the bed.

"He looks bad," she said frankly, slapping on gloves. She then pressed the back of her hand to his forehead and immediately jerked it back. "Wow. Okay, now I see why you brought him."

The boys crowded around the other side of the bed, Carlos waking James up so he would sit against the pillows.

"How do you feel, Mr… Diamond?" the doctor said the last name slowly, narrowing her eyes. "What's your REAL name?"

"I swear that's it," James promised miserably. "I PROMISE."

The doctor looked up at his friends and they all nodded. She had never heard of such a last name.

"What are your symptoms?" she asked, taking out an external thermometer from her coat pocket and started swiping it over his forehead.

"Everything hurts- head, throat, muscles. I have a cough and runny nose and chills and I can barely walk. Oh, and- what?" he stopped when he noticed the doctor staring at the number on the thermometer in disbelief.

"How is this possible?" she asked, brows knitted. "Must be a mistake."

The boys said nothing as the doctor tried again, getting the same result. She stared at the number, cocked her head, knitted her brows, and looked down at James.

"According to this number, you should be dead," she said, puzzled.

"Why?"

"Because no human has ever lived through a temperature of 108, much less 113. Maybe this dang thing is broken."

"It's not broken. His usual temp is 105," Logan piped up.

"That's not okay," Dr. Zollman said, eyes wide. "You could have serious brain damage."

"WHAT?" Carlos snapped

"No, doctor, this is different," Kendall intercepted. "We all have high body temperatures. Mine is 105, too, and theirs is 103."

"That's NOT normal! Why?"

"Because WE'RE not normal," Kendall said calmly. "Look!"

Logan had no time to stop Kendall as he extended a big light grey wing to show the doctor.

The doctor blinking, cocking her head again, staring.

"We're all like that," Carlos said, showing her a white wing. Logan kept his black-and-grey wings to himself, and James was dozing off.

"Carlos, do the THING," Kendall said quickly, feeling panic rise in the doctor as she was about to run out the door yelling for people to look at them.

"You got it, dude," Carlos mocked.

The doctor was confused, but felt the panic disappear from her chest and be replaced with acceptance.

"We just need help for him, because we don't know what's wrong," Logan said.

Dr. Zollman nodded and smiled a little.

"Of course," she said, taking her stethoscope from around her neck and putting it into her ears. She sat on the side of the bed and pulled the blankets down from James, slipping the other end of the stethoscope beneath his shirt and onto his chest, careful not to touch the seething skin.

She closed her eyes, listening to a heartbeat that more fluttered than bumped and air slowly draw into James' lungs, stay longer than usual, and be exhaled.

"Fascinating," she whispered.

Carlos crossed his arms angrily. Was this lady gonna grovel over James or help him? He could be DYING!

James woke up from the cold stethoscope on his skin, but didn't open his eyes.

_Fascinating, study, bird, boy, fast, heart, amazing, study, amazing, heart, breathing, study, bird._

He didn't like the way this lady was thinking.

He grumbled and opened his eyes to find her swiping his temperature again.

"What do you think, doc?" he rasped.

"I think it's just a virus," she said, marveling over the digital "113.4" on the thermometer again. "We'll put you on antibiotics and you'll get over it soon. But of course it hasn't been tested on someone like YOU, so it very well could turn out differently."

"Can we… Keep this a secret?" Kendall asked the doctor. "We're sort of bounty around here- our heads are worth some serious money. We could be in danger if the wrong people find out about us."

The doctor was shocked again by the way she was suddenly so opposed to the idea of telling people of these amazing bird boys.

Logan looked over to Carlos and Carlos nodded, indicating that he took care of it.

* * *

**Sorry it takes so long for me to write stuff lately. I just haven't been very motivated, you know? But I think I have the next few chapters very vaguely planned out in my head, so I'll probably get those out quicker.**


	9. Found

Brooke Diamond's hazel eyes flicked across the computer screen, as she absently read headlines of the articles on the world news website as she did every afternoon.

Another article about those bird boys, of course. She was sick of everyone obsessing over them- it was obviously a scam.

_Exclusive photos!_

Mrs. Diamond rolled her eyes and pressed on the link, thinking she could obviously see straps of the boys' wings or seams of Photoshop work.

_All four bird boys showed up at the Topeka Hospital in Minnesota on November 15__th__, one of which may be fatally ill, who goes by "James Diamond."_

Brooke's mind reeled- what a coincidence! One of the "bird boys" had the same name as her lost son. The name broke her heart and brought the image of her beloved son into her mind. She missed him so much and although he and the other missing boys weren't pronounced dead yet, the police had stopped looking for them.

She scrolled down to the pictures, the first showing a security image of four boys in waiting room chairs, one sleeping on another's shoulder. Then there was a close-up and pixilated photo of a Latino, then a blonde, and a raven-haired boy, then some of their wings from the back. But what really got her was the one labeled "James Diamond", of a dark headed boy leaning on the Latino, looking miserable.

The photo was very pixilated, but she could swear she saw her baby's face in there. His angular nose, his chestnut hair, his eyebrows that flattened at the top.

Brooke stared at the photo for a long time before pulling up a bookmarked article about the missing Texas boys from months ago.

The article had school photos of her son and the other two boys who were taken from their school, smiling and oblivious to their futures.

Sparks started flying as Brooke's eyes switched between the school photos and photos of the bird boys. They looked the same. This HAD to be her son- there was no way there was another boy with the same name, who looked similar, who was with boys who looked like the ones who were also taken.

So this blonde- the one that was unidentified- must be the captor.

She lunged for her office phone and pounded the keys in for her best friend, Sylvia Garcia's, number. They had become friends at the memorial service for their sons- Sylvia felt bad that Brooke had no husband to confide in and helped her along.

"Sylvia? I've found our boys."

* * *

Logan hated to be leaving James in his condition in the first place, but he and Kendall had to go back to the tree house and get their things- they would be at the hospital for a while. Besides, all their money, which wasn't a lot, was in Kendall's backpack.

As soon as Logan and Kendall were out the door, James burst into pitiful coughing.

"He's fine," Kendall assured, weaving his fingers with Logan's. "Carlos is taking care of him."

"I know, I know…"

"It's sweet, the way you worry about him."

Logan smiled a little up to Kendall, walking a little closer so their arms touched. Any small contact made Logan's heart flutter- he loved it.

Meanwhile, in the hospital room, Carlos sat in the bed with James, his boyfriend's head in his lap. Logan told him not to get too close or he might contract what James has, but he HAD to take care of his baby!

"Do you think-" James stopped and sniffled miserably, shifting his arm to hug Carlos' legs, "That I'm gonna die?"

"Maybe."

"Really?" James squeaked.

"No, babe, you're not gonna DIE," Carlos laughed, petting his boyfriend's hair.

"I wish my mom was here. She wasn't very motherly, but she always took care of me when I was sick. She gave me medicine and made me ice cream stuff."

"My mom did, too."

"She was a total bitch to everyone but me. But toward the end, I was a prick to her all the time. I would come home past curfew and fight with her about it. I'd tell her that I was going to my buddy's house and end up going to a party and getting wasted. I fought her on everything, and now I feel bad about it."

"She knew what she was in for when you were born," Carlos assured. "She knew it was coming- all teenagers do that."

"And even though I was a dickhead, she always told me she loved me before she left for work really early in the morning and she always left me money for pizza if she would be out late."

Carlos was silent, knowing James was delirious at this point, but listening anyway.

"Now she's all alone," James said sadly. "No man to protect her in that big house, nobody to tell she loves them, nobody to fight with."

"Maybe she got a boyfriend."

"Maybe… But probably not. She always works- she doesn't have time for men. Sometimes I wish I had a dad, you know? Someone cool to let me off the hook when I was in deep shit."

"Well… When we get back home, we can share my dad," Carlos offered. "He's cool."

"Okay."

* * *

It wasn't hard for Kendall to see Logan's black feathers on the outsides of his wings through the snow, but Logan couldn't really see him.

When Logan lost track of Kendall, he would clap a few times and listen for a return clap, which told him where Kendall was so he could get closer.

"DIVING!" Kendall yelled over the silent snowfall, telling Logan that they had arrived at their destination. He watched Kendall fall with the snowflakes and followed.

Kendall landed with expert grace in the snow, which came up to his knees, but Logan wasn't so good at it. His feet hit the ground and planted, but his body kept going, shooting him into the powdery snow.

Kendall tried to contain his laughter and he neared, but let it loose when he saw Logan wallowing in the snow, laughing his head off.

"You okay?" Kendall giggled, taking Logan's cold hand and pulling him up.

"I'm never gonna get that," Logan giggled, extending his wings and shaking the snow from them. Kendall had to note the beauty of the big wings. The outsides were black, shining purple in the light, and the ends faded light grey with the insides being completely grey. He wished HE had unique wings like those, the kind that made people awe at the beauty.

"What?" Logan laughed, folding his wings back.

"Nothing," Kendall smirked. "You're just so…"

"Dorky? Stupid? Nerdy?"

"BEAUTIFUL."

"That's a new one. But have you looked at yourself lately?"

"Not really. Why? Do I have a booger?"

"Noooo," Logan giggled. "You're breathtaking."

"What an adjective," Kendall smirked as they went up into the tree house and closed the trap door.

Kendall tried to go straight to business, but Logan just smiled and took Kendall's hands, pulling him closer, willing Kendall to kiss him.

"Really? Now?" Kendall giggled.

"Now."

Kendall couldn't resist that slight pout, those shiny dark eyes, the messy hair, and his lips pressed to Logan's, humming at the contact.

"Can we stay here a little?" Logan asked.

"What about James? I thought you were worried."

"James'll still be there. I wanna be alone with you for just a little while," Logan pouted. Kendall had never seen this side of him- the sensual side that talked quietly and was flirty as all hell.

They sat against the wall, Kendall's guitar in his lap. Logan laid his head on his shoulder as he played softly, just enjoying the warm contact and sensual music. They hadn't been alone at all since they met, and frankly Logan was excited. He knew they didn't have a lot of time, but it was enough.

"Do you ever write lyrics to these songs?" Logan asked, mesmerized with the music.

"Yeah. But some of them don't have words," Kendall said. "I didn't have much inspiration other than flying and my family. I've never been in love, never been broken up with, never cried over heartbreak."

"Consider yourself lucky," Logan said simply, getting to his feet but showing that he wasn't ready to go. "I do."

"But would you take a heartbreak if it meant you got to be in love for a while?" Kendall asked.

"All this talk about being in love… I could never get into the party," Logan smirked, shaking his head. "Never really understood what it was. Like, what's the big deal anyway?"

"Well they say love is the best feeling in the world."

"Maybe it is. But I ALSO hear that heartbreak is the worst thing a person can feel… Is it worth it to risk such pain on something that comes and goes so fast?"

Kendall hesitated for a split second, not sure why Logan was telling him that he wasn't interested in love. What did that mean for their relationship? WAS there a relationship? Logan didn't seem to think so, but Kendall thought otherwise until then.

"I think so," Kendall shrugged, watching Logan look through magazines on the shelf. "I always saw it on TV and wanted it… Didn't you?"

"No."

"Why? Didn't you want someone to give you hugs and kisses and make you laugh?"

"No," Logan repeated. "I was never really into it. But then I met you and it just kinda happened."

They locked eyes and Kendall bit his lip a little, but Logan was smiling for another reason. He pulled out a magazine and held it up before him.

Kendall giggled and blushed, seeing the girl on the front with her legs open, a seductive smirk on her lips.

"Um… Yeah… I wouldn't touch that."

Logan dropped it in disgust, making Kendall burst into laughter and pick it up.

"Oh, the things I was into," Kendall smirked, flipping the pages. Now that he looked at the women inside, they didn't appeal to him at all.

"That's gross, I need hand sanitizer," Logan laughed a little, frantically wiping his hands on his jeans.

"ReLAX. It's not as sticky as you think," Kendall smirked, tossing the magazine aside. "Come sit."

Kendall sat his guitar aside and Logan sat beside him.

"We should probably get back," Logan said as Kendall tilted his chin up to kiss him.

"Just a little longer."

Kendall was surprised when after a few kisses, Logan's tongue sneaked into his mouth. What was THIS? Why was Logan tasting him?

He allowed Logan to do what he wanted, because maybe he liked it- a lot. Then Logan's tongue went back into his own mouth, making Kendall miss it, then he realized that Logan was waiting for him to return the favor.

Logan had always watched James and Carlos make out and think that their mouths must taste disgusting. For a long time, the thought that he would never make out with a person unless they brush their teeth first. Now he was thinking that maybe when you like someone, they taste good no matter what, and he wasn't really focusing on that. He was more focusing on where and when to touch Kendall. Carlos and James liked to be goofy and grab one another's butts or try to stick their hands down each other's pants, but Logan didn't think he and Kendall were at that level yet.

Luckily, he didn't have to worry about it.

He jumped when freezing cold hands slithered up his hoodie and against his warm skin, Kendall's kisses continuing on his neck as he recuperated.

Okay, maybe they were farther along that Logan expected.

Logan's cool fingers brushed Kendall's jaw. Of course Kendall felt that although Logan was a bit nervous about it, he was excited about the contact.

Within just a few minutes, Logan was on his back, being serenaded in kisses all over.

Of course neither of them really knew what this type of kissing led to. They were being innocent teenagers, not much on their minds other than enjoying the moment.

Logan was basking in the warm kisses on his skin, Kendall loving delivering them, until Kendall's head jerked up and to the side, ears pricked.

"What?" Logan asked.

"SHH!" Kendall shushed, sitting up to peek out the window, seeing only snow.

Logan kept quiet, getting sort of creeped out and sitting up to be closer to Kendall, feeling safer there.

Kendall's ears strained to hear crunching of boots on snow, but the snow was too powdery to make a sound. He didn't need to hear, though. He felt emotions- bad ones. Determination, greed, hopefulness, bloodthirstiness.

But where were these people?

"Get down," Kendall whispered, ducking beneath the window. He jerked Logan to him, knowing the boy must be confused and freaked out. "There're people coming for us."

"FOR us?" Logan whispered.

"I think so. But if we keep quiet… We'll be okay."

Logan nodded obediently and curled up against the wall beneath the window, Kendall daring to peek out. This time he saw three men mounting the hill with guns, sporting dark auras similar to those who tried to take him before he even knew Logan and the others, similar to those who almost killed James at the hotel. His heart stopped and he ducked, hoping to God none of them saw him.

He pulled Logan to him, adrenaline pumping, feeling Logan's anxiety turn to fear. He wanted to soothe him, calm him, but at the same time he had to protect him.

"We'll be okay," Kendall whispered, just loud enough for Logan to hear. Logan was silent, trusting Kendall. "But if anything happens, leave me."

"What?" Logan whispered, eyes huge, turning to Kendall.

"You have Carlos and James to live for."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You won't have to. But if you DO- if something happens- then you need to leave me. James and Carlos would KILL me if I came back and you were gone."

"Okay," Logan nodded. "You leave me, too."

"No way," Kendall smiled a little. "I'll fight to the death for you."

Logan's heart melted, but it didn't quite get a change to be a puddle before there was the sound of a frozen twig snapping just below them. Kendall's eyes went wide, pressing his finger to his lips.

"Wow- this is some legitimate craftsmanship," someone below them said, impressed, as he pounded the eye of his gun against the sturdy wooden floorboard.

"Who CARES? Do it already," came another voice.

"I hate to burn down such a neat little house, though."

Logan's hand slipped over Kendall's mouth and held in the whimper he knew was coming.

"Doesn't matter. We're having roasted chicken for dinner, boys," another voice said evilly.

"I don't think they're in there, though," the first voice said, and suddenly a shot rang, matching holes piercing the floor between Logan's feet all the way up through the roof. Logan and Kendall jumped, scared out of their minds.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the second voice sang, just below the boys. "We know you're in there, chicken asses!"

The boys were shaking now- Logan of fear and Kendall of adrenaline. Kendall hated to look over and see Logan gazing out of the hole between his feet, tears on his cheeks. Logan felt horrible- if he hadn't insisted that they stay a little longer, they would be gone and safe now.

The sound of some liquid splashing up on the wood outside of the tree house sounded- gasoline.

"Just do it," the third voice said.

"We'll get more money if they're alive," the second one said.

"They'll either come out or burn."

The sound of a match striking sounded and suddenly the flaming piece of wood was slipped in through the bullet hole. Before the rug could catch, Logan placed a firm foot on the fire to put it out.

"Come out, little birdies, or we'll burn your house down!"

Kendall sprang up and went to the shelf, taking a frozen red crayon and piece of paper.

**_THREE MEN DARK CLOTHES GUNS:_**

"W-Who is it?" Kendall called.

Logan eyes widened up at him. How could he blow their cover?

"It's the Girl Scouts! Do you want some cookies?" one of them called grimly.

"No thanks, we have enough cookies!"

Kendall stepped to look down through the bullet hole. One of them had brown and grey hair, looking up at him with cold black eyes.

**_BROWN AND GREY HAIR, DARK EYES_**

And other man pushed that one out of the way to look up at him. This one had long blonde hair and cold blue eyes.

**_SHOULDER-LENGTH BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYES- REALLY LIGHT!_**

He turned to the window, seeing the third man with light brown hair, which was gone on top, and brown eyes.

**_BALDING, LIGHT BROWN HAIR, BROWN EYES_**

Logan carefully went to read the letters scrawled out on the paper. He was leaving a note for James and Carlos in case they were taken or died. This way, maybe James and Carlos would be able to identify them and send these creeps to jail.

**_DO NOT COME AFTER US_**

The words written in hard crayon scared Logan. He wanted to be rescued if they were taken, yes, but he knew that Carlos and James could get hurt, killed, or taken, too.

Kendall put a hockey trophy over the paper to keep it in place and turned to hug Logan.

"It's okay. It's fine," he whispered over the men yelling below. "We're gonna make a break for it. What happens, happens. But remember our deal."

"I can't leave you."

"You might have to."

Logan looked up at Kendall, troubled, and was given a rough kiss. Then he handed Logan a backpack, put one on, and stared at his guitar case.

"I have to leave it," Kendall said softly. "It'll just weigh me down."

"I'll carry it."

"No. We'll come back for it."

Logan nodded sadly, afraid that they would never be able to come back for it. He knew it was hard for Kendall to leave the guitar- it was his BABY- but also heavy and hard to carry during flight.

Kendall turned to the back window and pried at it with his fingernails. It wasn't on very stably- it was only a car window, after all. Once Logan pitched in his strength, they got the top part of it off.

"Go," Kendall whispered, giving Logan another rough kiss- almost a goodbye kiss- and held the window open for him to squeeze through.

Kendall heard gunshots sound, making him cringe and pray that none of them hit Logan. Then he went to the trap door and flung it open. This was for James and Carlos, but mostly Logan. He had to distract them so that Logan could get away safe.

He dropped down to the snow, catching one man's attention, but the others were watching and laughing at something. Kendall's eyes traced theirs to a bird falling from the sky, wings flapping helplessly.

That wasn't a bird.

That was Logan.

Before he could do anything, there was a quieter little click-like bang and a sting in his shoulder. Immediately his vision started going out and he fell to the snow, limp.

Logan hit the trees with an icy crash, thrashing helplessly for anything to hold onto, but his body kept breaking frozen branches and bringing him closer to death.

He was shot right where his wing met his body- damn, whoever shot him was a good aim. Now it was bleeding like crazy, stinging and useless.

The ice on the branches cut his hands as he tried to grab them, and eventually he broke through the layer and free-fell to the snow, the backpack on his back breaking his fall but basically snapping his spine with an "OOF!"

He lay heaving on the ground, searching the sky for any signs that Kendall got away. He saw nothing there- not a bird, not a plane, not his boyfriend.

Logan was roughly brought to his feet and he looked up to see another guy holding a body in his arms.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Logan screaming, trying desperately to get away from the person who was holding him. Kendall was there, limp, in the guy's arms, his chest rising and falling slightly. The backpack had been torn from his back and tossed in the snow, as Logan's was now.

There was a powerful stab into Logan's neck and a sting, knocking him out instantly.

* * *

"They should be back by now," James said worriedly, hazel eyes up on Carlos' dark ones, propped up on pillows with Carlos sitting in the chair beside the bed. "It's past dinner time."

"They're okay," Carlos assured, although he was worried about Kendall and Logan, too. "They probably got caught up in the tree house making out and stuff."

"I wish we had phones," James said anxiously. "What if they were found?"

"They can take care of themselves," Carlos assured. "Kendall wouldn't let anything happen to Logan."

"What if Kendall's a bad guy and turned Logie in?" James squeaked.

"He wouldn't! I'm telling you, they're just having fun in the tree house."

"Gross."

"Yeah," Carlos laughed a little. "But I could see it."

"Logie wouldn't do that. Not so soon."

"I don't think either of them know what sex is, now that I think of it," Carlos giggled. "But maybe they just fell asleep. Or they went out on a date."

"I wanna go on a date."

"Well right now you're like deathly ill, so you're gonna have to wait a little."

"Right."


	10. Mom?

Kendall woke up to sounds of panicked whimpers and violent rattling of metal. His eyes opened, blurry at first, before he blinked a little and rubbed them.

An uncomfortable pattern was pressed to his wings from the wall he was leaning on and he shifted, finding that he was sore, especially his shoulder where he was shot. Oh yeah- he WAS shot, wasn't he? With a tranquillizer dart that knocked him out instantly.

He looked over to find Logan sobbing, bouncing around wire walls… A dog cage?

Wait… Kendall was in a dog cage, too. Why was he in a dog cage?

"LET ME OUT!" Logan screamed, eyes wide, shaking the bars of his door with all his might.

"Logan?"

Logan's huge eyes darted to Kendall and then his body shot to that side of the cage.

"Kendall, I have to g-get out of here," Logan said quickly, fingers gripping the bars and into Kendall's cage.

"Where are we?"

"A lab. I can't be here again. No, no, no, NO!"

Logan let go of the bars to grip his hair in agony. Kendall had never seen Logan panic this way, and it scared him.

"Okay, just calm down," Kendall said soothingly.

"HOW DO I CALM DOWN?"

Kendall moved to the front of his cage and looked out, finding that they were in a small, white room with a metallic table on wheels ahead of them and a huge door to the right. He tried to unlock his cage, thinking that it could hold in a dog, but not him- he could undo latches- but finding that there was a padlock on it. He rattled it a little before giving up and looking back at the whimpering Logan.

"Logan," Kendall murmured.

"I'D RATHER DIE!"

"Breathe," Kendall said soothingly. "In through the nose, out through the mouth."

Logan's eyes turned pitifully to Kendall, who demonstrated the breaths he wanted and mimicked him.

"You okay?" Kendall asked after a minute.

"No," Logan whimpered, shaking his head frantically.

"I know you're freaked about being back in a crate and stuff, but I'll get us out."

"YOU CAN'T JUST _GET _US OUT, KENDALL!" Logan was yelling hysterically. "THIS IS HELL! I WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE ONCE, IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!"

For a long time, Kendall watched Logan rattle the bars and cry and yell in a frenzy until he wore himself out and fell to the cold cage floor. Kendall noticed that he had a bloody bandage around the base of his wing- he must have been shot with a REAL gun.

"Are you okay?" Kendall asked gently.

"I hope Carlos and James don't come after us."

"Me, too."

"I hope these evil bastards kill us and dissect our bodies."

"What? No."

"It's better than living through this a second time, believe me."

Kendall was silent, curling his fingers into the bars. Logan raised his hand to curl his atop of Kendall's, as Carlos and James used to do. He understood what strength it gave a person now.

* * *

James awoke that morning feeling a lot better than he felt last night. His head and throat didn't hurt so bad, his nose was stuffy now instead of runny, and he didn't feel so weak.

Carlos was sitting asleep in the chair beside the bed, neck bent back so his head could rest on the chair, mouth hanging open. James giggled and switched his eyes to the floor, looking for his other two companions.

That's weird- Kendall and Logan still weren't there. Well, maybe they arrived late last night and woke early and went to the cafeteria for food before James and Carlos woke up.

James slowly got up, stumbled a little, waited a second, then padded to the bathroom. He was a little dizzy, but not near as bad as he was the previous day.

He looked in the mirror, finding that his lips were slightly pinker now and his cheeks a bit rosier. He splashed some cool water on his face and turned to pee.

* * *

The heavy door of the white room opened and a bunch of people entered, chattering softly.

"Here we have Specimen 33 and 36," a voice said as a man crouched before Logan's cage, peering in at him. Logan pressed himself to the back of the cage, shaking. "Specimen 36 has been going absolutely insane since he woke up."

About five other people crouched to look at the boys, Kendall staring back in confusion, seeing that they all had very dark auras.

"I got them for 30 apiece," the first man smirked. "The dumbasses didn't know any better- practically a steal."

"They look to be in good shape," a woman observed.

"Oh, yes. 33 here has great muscle tone- a fantastic flier, powerful wing appendages, sharp as a tack," the first man said. "36 is obviously smaller, and having been in a lab most of his mutant life doesn't have much muscle, but he's the smartest of them all."

"You couldn't get 34 or 35?" another man asked.

"They're yet to be captured, but we know where they are," the first man answered.

"I'd like to get my hands on 35," another man smirked. "I hear he broke a cage to protect one of the others? And about killed the scientist on duty."

"Don't worry- we'll have 35. But he'll be an expensive one. They all have their strengths. 33 is strong-witted and genetically engineered. 35 is very strong and has instincts to kill. 36 is extremely smart- IQ of 225."

"And 34?"

"Well… He's very small and weak… I suppose he would be good for dissection."

The scientists laughed evilly. Logan and Kendall guessed that they didn't know about their "special powers", or they would be worth millions and millions more. Especially Carlos. Carlos DEFINITELY wasn't only good for dissection- he had killer instincts, too! And they were all extremely sharp- even James' IQ was over 200.

"So what do you think?" the first man asked.

"How much?"

"The big one is 52 and the smaller one is 50."

Kendall turned to look at Logan in confusion, Logan's eyes down as he hugged his knees. Logan never looked at the scientists- he was afraid they might lock eyes and he never wanted to look one of them in the eye.

"He's worth more than fifty bucks," Kendall spoke up. Logan would have laughed at him if it weren't such a serious matter. The scientists DID laugh, but said nothing.

"Fifty million," Logan whispered. Kendall, feeling stupid, dropped his eyes and turned his body away from the scientists. Again, Logan wanted to scream at him. He had already broken two rules- never talk to the scientists, never turn away from the scientists.

Logan watched the scientists flock to Kendall's cage and stare at his wings, some sketching pictures on their clipboards or taking notes.

"FUCK OFF!" Kendall snapped over his shoulder, making the scientists murmur and only making Kendall angrier. He bounced to the door off his cage and rattled it violently. "LEAVE US ALONE! FUCK OFF!"

"I'll take it," a man toward the back of the group said in amusement.

"I'm a HE, asshole! Not IT!" Kendall growled. "And you won't be taking me!"

"Can we see 36 up close?" a woman asked.

"Sure can."

The lead man took out a set of jingling keys from his pocket and unlocked Logan's cage.

Logan gripped at the bars of the door, planting his feet at either side of it and pulling it closed with all his strength, terror fueling his muscles.

"Leave him alone!" Kendall growled. "Can't you see he's scared?"

"Kendall, stop TALKING to them," Logan hissed through clenched teeth.

"C'mon, little asswipe," the man said, jerking at the cage door, which wouldn't budge because of Logan pulling on it.

"HIS NAME IS LOGAN!" Kendall yelled, slamming his palm into the bars. He felt so helpless. All he could do was sit there on his knees, hunched over, unable to help his boyfriend. He hated the look of fearful bravery in Logan's eyes as he fought the door. Logan knew what lie ahead for him if he was taken- he had gone through this before.

"Kendall," Logan said, voice strained as two other men started to pull against him on the door. "Stay alive. Which means DON'T come after me."

"WHAT?"

Logan let go of the door, sending the three men stumbling. Logan quickly grabbed at the bars for Kendall, who put his fingers over his.

"Don't leave me," Kendall pleaded as a man took Logan's legs and started dragging him from the cage. Logan looked at Kendall, strong fear in his eyes, but he was accepting it. He was saying goodbye, although he didn't know that this would be goodbye.

Finally Logan's fingers disappeared from beneath Kendall's and he was out on the cold linoleum floor. He was jerked to his feet and shoved forward.

"TAKE ME INSTEAD!" Kendall yelled, but nobody acknowledged him. "HEY! ASSWIPES! BRING HIM BACK! HE'S SCARED!"

Kendall was helpless and angry.

He had no other options.

He unfurled his wings and started beating on the cage walls with them, yelling curse words at the scientists as they showed his Logan toward the door. Logan looked over his shoulder, a warning look in his eyes, watching Kendall thrash and flap like an injured bird. If he fought the scientists too hard and was too difficult to manage, they may go as far as "putting him down" like an old diseased dog. Before he knew it, Logan was out of the room.

"HEY!" one man growled to Kendall. "SHUT UP!"

He kicked the cage, making it slide and crash into Logan's empty one.

"FUCK YOU!" Kendall snapped.

"Go to sleep, birdy," the man said grimly and a heavy blanket fell over the cage.

"I'M NOT A FUCKING CANARY, ASSHOLE!" Kendall screamed, shaking the cage. "BRING LOGAN BACK!"

The man kicked the cage again, this time making it topple over, startling Kendall and confusing him as he was tossed to his side, disoriented, the cage floor now a wall.

* * *

"Maybe we should call the cops," Carlos said worriedly, coming into the room after asking just about everyone if they had seen Kendall and Logan and coming up empty handed. It was three o'clock and Carlos and James hadn't seen their friends since the previous afternoon.

"And say what?" James snapped. "Hey, our mutant freak friends have gone missing, do you know where they are? They're the government, Carlitos, THEY took them if anything."

"Don't yell at me!"

"I don't know what to do anymore than you do," James sighed, knowing Carlos hated to be scolded and yelled at. "The only thing I can figure is if we go check the tree house… But what if it's booby trapped?"

"Then at least we'll be with Logie and Kendall!"

"What if there are people waiting there to kill us, like they did for them? Those cops saw me and Logan at the tree house!"

"We can't just not try," Carlos fought back. "What if WE went missing? Logan wouldn't REST until he knew where we were, and Kendall would be right by his side. What kind of brothers are we to just give up?"

"Logan would WANT us to give up! You know I'm right. This way, we're SAFE."

"But not them."

"What if they're dead? Hm?"

Carlos growled to himself and shot up from his seat, pacing the room, wanting to leave but knowing he shouldn't. He and James NEVER fought! What was going on?

"Car, I have to look out for YOUR safety, and I know I wouldn't be doing that if I let you go after them," James said softly from the bed.

"I'm not a BABY, James!" Carlos snapped. "I'm a grown man, I can handle myself!"

"No you can't!"

Carlos paused, staring wondrously at his boyfriend.

"You can't and we both know it," James sighed. His Carlos was small and weak and vulnerable, and although he had the powerful ability to control emotions, James couldn't let him go into a dangerous scenario by himself.

"Wow," Carlos laughed sarcastically. "I fucking hate you."

"That's fine."

"I'm going to the tree house," Carlos said softly.

"No," James said sternly. "Not until I can go with you."

James knew by the hesitation that Carlos was afraid to go alone, and that he knew that he DID need James to be his shield. That, and he read his mind.

"Aren't you worried about them?" Carlos asked softly.

"No. Kendall's just like me, babe, he won't let anything happen to Logie. And like I said, if something happened to them, Logan would never want us to go after them and put ourselves in danger. You know it, I know it."

Carlos sighed, slumping back into his chair.

"So what now?" he asked.

"I dunno, Los," James sighed helplessly.

* * *

Kendall paced around the white room, where his and Logan's cages lay on the floor. He had been released after he calmed down, although he was tempted to break his releaser's neck, if she wasn't a woman.

He had let something happen to Logan.

James would never EVER let something like his happen to his Carlos. Hell, he broke a dog crate to get to him when they escaped. James would go through all measures possible to keep his boyfriend safe, including using crazy superhuman strength and impossible anger.

Kendall had tried to do that, but it didn't work.

What would James do at this point?

Probably smash his body into the heavy door, break through, snap some necks and slit some throats, pick Carlos up bridal style, and fly off into the sunset with him. Kendall smirked a little at the thought, although he shouldn't have been finding humor in anything right now. It was just that James was practically Superman, and could be an amazing leader if he wanted to be. An amazing leader or absolutely deadly villain. Kendall was just glad James was on HIS team, not against him.

Maybe Kendall couldn't save Logan because he didn't love him yet. James loved the crap out of Carlos, and maybe that was a factor in what he could do.

He DID possess a skill that James didn't have.

Kendall could make plans, while James acted on instinct.

He spread his wings, finding that the room wasn't as small as he thought. His wings could fully extend with only a slight bend of his end-feathers. He knew what he was dealing with now- a room of a little less that thirteen feet.

Okay… So he had measurements that didn't help him in any way.

Kendall groaned and rubbed his face, having no clue what to do. He was okay at plans, but right now this could be life or death! It was too much pressure!

The heavy door heaved open and Kendall backed away. Why was he afraid of these guys? Just a while ago he had been yelling and cursing at them, but now he was scared?

A flood of relief waved through him as Logan was shoved in and the door was closed. Logan angrily dusted himself off, surprised by his boyfriend pummeling him with a hug.

"Logan! I was so scared you were dead!" Kendall whimpered as Logan hugged him back, confused.

"I'm surprised they put me back in here with you," Logan said.

"Are you bought?" Kendall asked, suddenly looking him in the eyes.

"I think so," Logan sighed. "They bid for us. Some crazy rich Asian lady bid 75 million on you."

"What about you? Are we gonna get separated?"

"Some guy bid 69 on me," Logan sighed. Kendall's heart shattered.

"But they don't even know about me yet!" he said.

"They don't have to. You're worth so much because you were born this way. You're one of a kind. There're two more of me," Logan sighed, hugging Kendall again. "Besides- I don't know that I'll make it too long after I leave here."

"W-what?"

"They'll do brain tests on me for months and months, maybe some physical analysis, then when they're done they'll cut me open and see what organs I can live without. Then I'll die, cause they'll do something stupid like try to take out my heart or something."

"No!"

"It's reality." Logan didn't want to tell Kendall that his own future looked similar, except extended longer.

"I'll destroy them if they try to take you," Kendall said, clutching to Logan.

"No. Don't."

"What will they do, KILL me? Yeah right."

Logan hesitated, knowing that Kendall was right.

"Maybe not, but they can induce a coma to get you out of their hair," he finally said. "So you can't do anything stupid."

"But… We'll be separated. And killed."

Logan tightened his arms around Kendall, even more afraid that Kendall knew.

"If you get the chance, go," Logan said softly. "Don't even worry about me. Just escape if you ever- EVER- get the chance."

* * *

James, like most of the past few days, was fast asleep in the bed, snoring. His illness had done a decrescendo into a bearable version, where James could walk and eat with just a cough and some congestion. He had to get a few injections in places he had gotten injections before in the lab- his butt cheeks- when the shot was way too painful and the needle was way too thick to stab into his arm. Fortunately, the injections had worked quickly along with some pills he had taken, and now he felt that maybe he could leave the hospital. However, he had no idea where to take Carlos if they DID leave. He didn't know where was safe and where wasn't. He could only figure that they head for Texas and be extra careful.

Anyway, he was sleeping.

Carlos was sitting in his chair with his feet propped onto the bed, watching The Big Bang Theory on TV. Funny- when he was kidnapped, this show was barely noticed, and now it was a huge hit all over the country, maybe even the world. He wished HE had a TV show that was famous worldwide. Maybe after a while, everyone everywhere would know about him.

He heard the fast click of heels coming down the hallway and some murmuring- a bunch of women. He guessed that it was a visitor or something, but MAN did she have loud shoes. She sounded like a horse in the hall or something.

"Where is my SON?" someone demanded.

"Ma'am, this room is private- you can't-"

The door flung open, making Carlos jump. Of course he hadn't expected the women to be coming into HIS room- what if they were here to take him and James, like he guessed they did for Logan and Kendall?

James was fast asleep, so Carlos jumped up, ready to defend him.

The woman with the noisy shoes entered, hazel eyes darting around, framed with thick makeup.

"Where is he?" she demanded, then her eyes set on the sleeping James and her perfect brows knitted. She clicked over to the bed, reaching down to caress James' face with tears in her eyes.

"Don't touch him!" Carlos snapped, swatting at her hand. The woman looked bewildered up to him.

"This is my SON and you're telling me-"

"Carlos?" asked another voice, catching Carlos' attention immediately.

Carlos' knees went weak at the sight of his mother. She was always so beautiful, so small and petite and caring, her slight Spanish accent making her all the more special. He missed her so much.

"M-Mom?"

His mother's hands clapped to her mouth, tears in her dark eyes, as her son rushed to her to give her an overwhelming hug. He was NOT expecting this- it was a lovely surprise.

Meanwhile, James mumbled and moved his face from the light touch on his jaw.

"Stop it, Los," he grumbled.

"It's okay, Jamie," his mother whispered, smoothing down his hair as her other hand wiped her tears away, only to be replaced with fresh ones. "Mama's here."

James' eyes snapped open as he scrambled to sit up.

He stared straight into eyes that matched his in color.

"I'm dehydrated," he laughed a little. "Los, I'm seeing my mom here."

"Dehydrated?" Mrs. Diamond snapped. "What great healthcare they have here."

James' eyes squeezed shut, not liking his mind playing tricks on him. Especially not when he was seeing his mom there in front of him- he missed her, and when she disappeared, it would hurt.

"You look different, Jamie," Mrs. Diamond said, her long fingernails gently running over his defined jaw. "So much more mature. I missed you."

"I felt that," James said, hand touching the spot that she had touched.

"Oh, shut up, I'm REAL," Mrs. Diamond laughed, hiding her tears as she hugged him tightly. Confused, James hugged her back, realizing that hallucinations couldn't be felt.

"Mom?" James whispered in disbelief. "MOM!"

Meanwhile, Joanna Mitchell stood in the corner of the room, wondering where HER son was so she could hug him.

Maybe Brooke had seen wrong. Maybe Logan was kidnapped or killed by someone else, and James and Carlos were taken together. She also didn't see their blonde captor.

She watched the other mothers kiss their lost son's faces happily, wishing SHE had her Logan to hug and kiss and cry over. It was painful for a mother to lose her baby, to see his face all over newspapers and TV's, and for the other two missing boys' mothers to tell her that her son with theirs. THEN they find THEIR sons, but hers is nowhere to be found. Frankly, Joanna's heart was broken.

Well, maybe he just took a walk. Maybe he would come walking into the room at any point and catch sight of her and give her a dimply grin and whirl her in an excited circle.

He never came.

* * *

**I think shit's gonna go down next chapter! Sorry this one took a little long, I really have no excuse other than I was lazy. Oh, and I was working on my new story! Looks like it's gonna be a Jagan, but I'm a little sick of Jagan, BUT they fit the character descriptions the best and the story will turn out best as Jagan. I'm torn between Jagan and Cargan. Sorry if you don't read my stuff- I guess it doesn't apply to you! :D**


	11. Panic

**Jeez, so much BTR news this week!**

**James is gonna be on Dancing With The Stars (jeez, he's gonna look damn sexy in his salsa outfit... Well, pretty much any outfit they put him in), which I've never watched, but of course I'll watch this season. :)**

**Kendall and Dustin's new single and future album. (I don't know what the "Tree of Life" thing was on Kendall's twitter. Someday I'm gonna be rereading this and all this is gonna be in the past and I'm gonna laugh, so there, Future Self and Future Readers, I called you out!)**

**Logan and Hurricane Kid, which I think has been going on for a while.**

**And Carlos is just... Playing fetch with Sydney and working out. That's it, as far as we know. :D**

* * *

Logan sat in the back of the rumbling cargo van, Kendall sleeping in his lap. He was freezing, but he didn't really mind. His butt and muscles were cramped, since the back of the van was completely bare- the floor and walls cold metal.

They had tranquillized Kendall when they went to get Logan from the room and Kendall was trying with everything he had to stop them. Little did he know, they were going to the same lab in Tokyo, and wouldn't be separated on the way.

Kendall had been out for about an hour now, and Logan kept watch. He heard their two buyers in the front of the van talk on a radio in English (they usually spoke some other language) that their jet was in Minnesota. Funny- Logan never even considered that the lab that they were held in was outside of Minnesota. He wondered how far from the jet they were.

Logan's fingers ran through Kendall's golden hair absently, as they had been doing this whole ride.

He was scared out of his mind to be going back to a lab. He had lived in one before, and in some ways he knew it would be better if he was separated from Kendall. That way, Kendall wouldn't get defensive when Logan was taken to tests, and Kendall wouldn't know the exact moment that Logan would die.

Of course he was afraid for Kendall, too. Kendall lived a pampered life before now, nothing ever threatening him. And now he had to protect himself and felt that he had to protect Logan, too, although it was impossible.

They would never be able to fly together again. Never get to sleep together in a big comfy bed. Kendall would never meet Logan's mom. They would never get an apartment together or get married or make love.

Kendall's eyes flickered below his lashes before opening, focusing on Logan.

"They killed me," Kendall grumbled. "I'm in heaven."

Logan grinned and shook his head.

"Not dead," he said softly.

"You're not supposed to be with me," Kendall said, slowly sitting up.

"We're going to the same place," Logan smiled a little.

Kendall didn't know what to think of this. Of course he was happy to have more time with Logan, but he knew what happened in labs and he didn't want to see it for Logan. He also didn't want Logan to see such a thing happen to him.

"We weren't in Minnesota," Logan said. "We're driving there now."

Kendall got to his feet, squatting down to go to the cage-type thing between the drivers and them. He looked out, seeing a man behind the wheel- very small and nerdy looking- and a middle-aged Asian woman in the passenger seat, both with dark auras.

"Are you scared?" Kendall asked, turning to Logan, although he knew for a fact that he was scared.

"You know I am."

"I am, too."

"Well… At least we have each other," Logan offered. Kendall had to smile and go to Logan, sitting beside him.

"Let's enjoy this time," Kendall said, smoothing down Logan's hair. "Before we're in cages or separated or something."

Logan smiled a little and leaned his face into Kendall's touch, loving how warm his hand was, how much security it held.

"I know I'm not James… But I'm gonna do my best to make sure you're safe," Kendall murmured.

"You can't compare yourself to James. If we all did that, wouldn't everyone be depressed and suicidal?" Logan smirked. "I think you're my best bet anyway."

Kendall smiled a little and kissed Logan.

"Is it wrong to kiss at a time like this?" Kendall asked softly.

"Nope," Logan breathed, lifted his face to kiss Kendall this time.

* * *

Brooke was startled awake from where she slept in the chair beside her son's bed.

"MOM!" James said, shaking her violently.

"What?" she asked quickly, sitting up, looking around.

"We have to go find Logan and Kendall," James demanded. "Get up! We're leaving!"

"I don't think you're ready to leave, honey," Brooke said sleepily. Of course Joanna had asked about Logan the previous day and James and Carlos puked up the entire story- from their kidnapping all the way to the present.

Brooke had been apprehensive- she didn't want to put the son that she just recovered in danger by trying to rescue two boys that might even be dead by now. Sylvia had seen in Carlos' eyes how important it was to him and agreed. Of course Joanna wanted to find him- if there was any chance he was still alive, she wanted to rescue him.

"I'm FINE, Mom. We have to go," James insisted. He still felt a little crappy, but that didn't matter to him. "You have to sign me out, since we're leaving early."

* * *

"I can't imagine what you're going through," Carlos said sympathetically to Joanna, sitting on the bed across from hers as Sylvia finished getting ready to leave. "To expect to see Logan and find that he's missing…"

"It's hard… But I just hope we can find him," Joanna sighed. She thought her days of being alone were over- her nights of making dinner for one, not having anyone to talk to about her day, nobody to kiss goodnight. She thought her misery was over, but it turns out it wasn't.

"Me, too. I mean, he's kinda become a brother to me and James, you know? I guess that's what trying to survive in a lab together does to you."

Joanna nodded silently. She was just barely getting over the loss of her son and suddenly the wound is opened up again.

The hotel room door opened and Brooke entered, very business-looking, trailed by James. Carlos grinned and jumped up to hug his boyfriend. They didn't need to really SAY that they were together- their mothers just figured. It wasn't hard to tell.

"Are you okay to fly?" Carlos asked.

"I think so. I'm feeling okay, I guess," James assured. "I took an Aspirin."

"Well I figured you and me could go to the tree house- look for clues or footprints or… Bodies…"

"Good thinking," James sighed, dreading going to the tree house and finding two bloody bird boys in the snow. "We need to get our stuff, too."

"Okay…" Sylvia said, coming out of the bathroom. "So how do WE get there?"

"Oh… I guess you can't," Carlos said in realization. "You can't leave footprints in the snow, and you would have to walk through the woods to avoid the police scene…"

"What, you can't expect us to just leave you alone AGAIN?" Brooke demanded.

"Here- take my cell," Sylvia suggested, handing Carlos her cell phone. "It'll be easier this way."

"It'll only take us a few minutes," James assured. "We'll meet back here at…" James looked at the clock- 10:23. "11 at the latest. If we aren't back by 11, call us."

"I'm not risking you being taken again," Brooke said sternly. James was silent, not knowing what to say to convince her otherwise.

"Well I'm letting Carlos," Sylvia said regretfully. "And frankly, I'm not comfortable with him going alone, and James is big and strong."

Brooke's eyes flicked to Carlos. Normally she wouldn't care at all about Carlos and his safety, but she saw the way her son looked at him. The way her best friend, Sylvia, looked at him. If something happened to him on her account, two people she loved would be hurt.

"Be careful," she gave in.

* * *

James was on edge as he and Carlos circled the tree house, searching for any people who may be waiting on them, waiting to shoot.

"I don't see anyone," Carlos called impatiently. He didn't know why James was being so careful- Carlos wanted to just go down there as soon as they arrived, and if they got shot or kidnapped, so be it.

"I'm going down first. I'll signal you," James said sternly. "Okay?"

"Fine."

"If I don't signal in ten seconds, fly away."

"FIIIIINE."

"Okay."

James dove down and landed gracefully on the slanted tin roof of the tree house, looking over the ledge cautiously. He saw no footprints, but they could have easily been covered by more snow.

He dropped down into the snow and looked around. Nope. Nobody here.

He stopped in his tracks when he spotted the backpacks, partially covered in fresh snow on the ground.

He waved up to Carlos, who dived down to meet him.

"The backpacks," James said softly, pulled one out of the snow. He and Carlos stared at one another, both confused.

"What do you think about it?" Carlos asked.

"I… I dunno. Let's just look for clues up in the tree house," James said nervously. He had no idea what the backpacks in the snow meant, but there was a glimmer of hope that MAYBE they would find Kendall and Logan cuddling up in the tree house, telling them that they just wanted alone time.

Without hesitation, Carlos climbed the slick ladder to the tree house and opened the hatch.

"Nobody in here," he said, climbing in. James forgot to check that- he would feel horrible if someone was in the tree house, waiting to blow Carlos' face off. He also guessed that Logan and Kendall weren't up there cuddling, either, so that was out.

Carlos entered the cold tree house, snow from his shoes falling to the rug.

He envisioned their little group in here just a few days ago. He and James would be playing some game or telling dirty jokes against a wall, and Kendall would be playing his guitar with his feet over the ledge of the trap door, Logan listening intently nearby. He missed those days, when they were safe and just hanging out, being friends. He missed watching Logan and Kendall's relationship blossom before his eyes. He hoped to God it was still blossoming somewhere, safe and sound.

He spotted a piece of paper with urgent-looking writing on it, weighed down by a hockey trophy. He went to it as James closed the hatch.

James watched as Carlos read the words, closing his eyes tight at the end and shaking his head.

"Read it," he said softly, holding the paper out to James.

James had no idea how Logan or Kendall (whoever wrote it) could think that they could do something with the descriptions of these men who obviously took them, but what really caught his attention was the last word.

**_DO NOT COME AFTER US._**

Although they were both relieved that at least the couple wasn't killed at the scene, and were alive when they were taken, the mystery of the words scared them.

"What do we do?" Carlos asked tearfully as James absently folded the note up to put in his pocket. "They don't want us to find them."

Of course James saw this coming and told Carlos so. He knew that Logan wouldn't want them to risk themselves for his sake- he would want them to go home to Texas and be safe.

"I don't know," James murmured. He hated this. Suddenly he seemed like the leader, when normally Logan called the shots. There was a REASON why James and Carlos weren't leaders of the pack- the "murder"- and that was that they simply weren't suited for the job.

He looked up at Carlos, who was crying panicked tears now.

"I guess first off, we should go back to the hotel and see what Joanna thinks."

"Your mom won't even consider letting you go if she sees the note," Carlos sniffled.

"It's not up to her," James sighed, going forward to grab Kendall's guitar. Hey- if they found Kendall, he would want it back. If not, it would be a nice memory of him. "C'mon. It's not over- we'll figure this out."

Carlos found comfort in the simple kiss that James pressed to his temple before he went to the door. He knew they were on a time limit- if they weren't back by 11, their mothers would take action- and followed.

* * *

Logan wasn't entirely sure how they got to this point.

One minute they were pecking one another's lips with kisses, simply enjoying the contact, the next Kendall was straddling his lap, kissing him with all tongue and teeth.

He remembered reading about people on trains to the holocaust. Once they realized that they were about to meet their fate, they would erupt in sex everywhere. It was an instinct to want to reproduce when one's life is threatened.

He wasn't arguing.

Logan's hands ran up and down Kendall's thighs as they kissed, getting a little whimper from Kendall.

His heart hammered in his throat as his hands ran toward Kendall's inner thigh, making contact with his zipper.

Kendall's lips hungrily went to Logan's neck, getting a hiss from his boyfriend and Logan's hand roughly tangling into his hair.

"God yes," Logan groaned. He had never been kissed there, and honestly it was amazing.

"HEY!" came a bossy woman's voice, and the cage link between the sections of the van was rattled. "No! Stop it!"

"Fuck you, old lady," Logan snapped.

"Logan," Kendall hissed.

"What?" Logan demanded. Kendall sighed and got off of Kendall, making the Asian woman turn back around. Logan scowled and hugged his knees, a little angry that the woman yelled at them when he was so close to bliss. He was willing to disobey, but Kendall wasn't into it.

* * *

Carlos leaned into James' arm as their mothers inspected the note, badly in need of reassurance.

_Scared, worried, scared, Logan, Kendall, Logan, scared, trapped, dead, scared._

"It's okay," James murmured, taking Carlos into his arm and kissing his hair, knowing exactly what Carlos was thinking at the time and thinking the exact same thing. "We'll work this out."

"What if they're dead?" Carlos asked, big eyes tearful on James'.

"Then… We go back to Texas,"

Carlos twisted his lips, not finding the answer he was looking for.

"What do you want me to say?" James sighed. "They aren't dead, Carlitos, I know it! I know exactly where they are- let's go! We'll go rescue them and then have a happy picnic with cake and ice cream!"

"It would be nice," Carlos grumbled, pulling angrily from James' arm and crossing his own over his chest. Before James could feel too bad about it, Carlos' mother began talking.

"Well I don't see where the problem is," Sylvia said, looking solemnly at her son. "They don't want you to go after them, and you aren't going to."

"Mom!" Carlos squeaked. "Mom, he's like my BROTHER! James', too! We love him! He would go after US if WE were taken! Kendall, too!"

"This is where I draw the line, Carlos," she argued. "By the way you talk about these two, they're smart boys, and they know what they're talking about. There's a REASON why they instructed you not to go after them!"

"But- but-" Carlos started to panic, stealing away to pace, thinking hard.

James plopped down on the bed, sighing. He knew that Carlos could use his "abilities" to make his mother change her mind, but he knew she was right and was afraid to go for Logan and Kendall.

"Okay," Brooke sighed. "So let's get going to the airport, then."

* * *

Joanna silently wiped her eyes in the taxi van to the airport, sitting beside James, who had his arms around hers and Carlos' shoulders comfortingly. He himself was upset, but understood all views and frankly wanted to keep Carlos out of danger.

"I just hate not knowing," Carlos sniffled, head on James' shoulder.

"Me, too," Joanna nodded sadly. "That's the worst part. If I just KNEW if he was alive or not, it wouldn't be so bad."

Sylvia sighed and turned in her seat to look at her son. She had four sons, all but Carlos grown and moved out now, and they all had that same look when they were heartbroken.

"Papi was ecstatic when I told him that I found you," she said softly. "He was working, or he would have talked to you himself. Your brothers are happy, too."

"I'm excited to see them," Carlos said unconvincingly. His hand delicately stroked a long feather at the bottom of James' big wings- a deep chocolate brown one with a tan edge. He took comfort in knowing that at least he had James.

"It'll be good to sleep in a bed that's not on a tree house floor or a hospital mattress," James offered. "And… Eat hot meals again. That's good."

Joanna sniffled away a few more tears, knowing she didn't have a son to cook for like the other two women in the car. If she had never gotten her hopes up about finding him, she wouldn't be so heartbroken about this.

"And look, Mrs. Mitchell, we'll have a nice memorial service for Logan," James said reassuringly.

"No need," she said softly.

"We had a big service for all three of you after you disappeared," Sylvia explained.

"Someone should have one for Kendall." Carlos piped up. "He was awesome."

"We'll have one," James said. "Me and you. We're the only ones who could give him a good one. And look- we still have each other, right?"

Carlos nodded, wiping tears onto his boyfriend's shirt.

"But no sleepovers," Brooke smiled a little. Sylvia laughed a bit and shook her head.

"No sleepovers," she agreed. "Not if you're together."

"What, like we're gonna do it? Please," Carlos smirked, but soon his expression dropped.

The van was deathly silent.

Joanna was confused when a beeping and buzzing came from her purse. All eyes turned to her as she reached in for her phone- who could be calling her?

But it wasn't a call. It was a notice.

**_SUBJECT: LOGMITCH99 SIGNAL DISRUPTED_**

**_TAKE ACTION?_**

**_(LOCATE)_**

**_(IGNORE)_**

"Logmitch99," James read. "What IS that?"

"I- I don't know," Joanna said in wonderment.

"Well… Press locate."

Joanna's finger pressed the "locate" button, and the screen turned to a map, showing a dot where the cell phone was, and another dot that said "LOGMITCH99".

"Logmitch…" Carlos said, leaning over James. "As in… Logan Mitchell?"

Joanna's head rose, confused, and everyone stared at her.

"Is it a tracker?" Sylvia asked urgently.

"I've never seen this before in my life!" Joanna squeaked.

"Are you telling me you had a tracker in him this whole time? We could have found our boys four months before now?" Brooke demanded.

"We don't even know what it is," James interrupted. "Maybe it's not Logan- just an add or something."

Carlos reached over James to tap the "LOGMITCH99" dot, and another screen came up.

Joanna's hand slapped over her mouth in surprise as a picture of Logan as a tiny child came up, with his name, birth date, and all information you could imagine.

"I had no clue," she said.

* * *

"Fuck, that hurts," Logan whimpered, hand pressed to his skull behind his left ear. "It feels like something's in my head, trying to get out."

"Be still!" the man captor ordered, his weird Japanese phone up in front of him as he tried to take a picture of the two for some scientific email or portfolio or something. Of course Kendall and Logan didn't smile- they didn't even acknowledge the man.

The man got closer to get another photo, and Logan's pain got worse.

"I think it's that weird Japanese phone that's sending like crazy mojo signals into my brain or something," Logan said to Kendall. "Maybe he's trying to brain wash me."

"Weird," Kendall said as the man disappeared and closed the van doors. "Let me look."

Logan bent his neck to give Kendall a clear view, showing him the place that was hurting him. Kendall looked, expecting a red mark if anything, but finding a little more than that.

"EW!" Kendall hissed, drawing back. Logan looked up, confused.

"What?"

"There's a little blue light under your skin. It's flashing."

"What?" Logan asked, puzzled, but Kendall forced his head back down to look again.

"Oh, that's GROSS," Kendall retorted, running his hand over the smooth surface. "What IS that?"

"What is WHAT? I don't understand!"

"It's a tiny blue light flashing under your skin," Kendall whispered, realizing that if their captors heard they might try to remove it or something. "It's nasty. Like, it's something under your skull, but there's a light set up so you can see it."

"What… Like a charging light?" Logan asked.

"Maybe… But charging what?"

"Is it like… A tracker chip?" Logan whispered urgently. Kendall's eyes widened in realization.

"That would explain why that weird phone set it off," he whispered faintly. "Who do you think it's hooked up to?"

"Not my mom, or she would have come to get me months and months ago…"

Kendall bent Logan's neck again to look, fascinated. It really was disgusting, but it might save their lives.

"Maybe that's not what it is," Kendall said in a normal voice now. "Maybe I'm just dehydrated or drugged or something and I'm seeing stuff."

Logan's fingers ran over the spot, which was no longer painful, trying to detect any bumps or anything but finding nothing- only that scar at the base of his skull that he got when he was a kid from a bike injury.

Wait…

"My dad did this," Logan whispered, eyes wide. "I don't remember it, but I know he took me to some military base, and I never thought about it again."

"That's… Weird..."

"I guess it isn't doing a very good job," Logan laughed a little. "If we're still here."


	12. Reunion

**My writing has really slowed down, obviously, and I'm not going on hiatus, but my motivation is sort of crushed and I'm not as into it as I used to be. I guess once I start a story that I'm really into, it'll get better. I think my newest one "Black Rose" is a winner, so maybe you should check it out. :D**

**If anyone has ideas for a new one, I'm thinking another Daddy story? Then let me know! Do you guys like Daddy stories? Where one of the guys has a kid? Of course it'll still be a gay one.**

* * *

Carlos felt his heart beating a million miles a minute as the dot representing them on Joanna's phone gradually neared the one labeled "LOGMITCH99". He was nervous about any type of confrontation- would they have to kick someone's ass? KILL someone? And after that, what if they found out that they were transporting Logan's BODY? And even if Logan was alive, how would they ever find Kendall? He had a feeling that they wouldn't pursue Kendall, even if he, Logan, and James begged. Their mothers wouldn't risk their newfound sons' lives for an orphan boy, and could he blame them?

"Think HAPPY thoughts," James said softly, arm over Carlos' shoulders. Carlos sighed, knowing that James was right and that he had read his thoughts. "Like how happy Logie's gonna be to see us and his mom. And like, what if him and Kendall are together for some reason?"

Carlos tried not to think about his doubt and instead concentrated on the kiss James pressed to his temple.

"We're really close," they heard Brooke say in surprise from the driver's seat, where all three moms were inspecting the tracking map on Joanna's phone.

"How close?" James piped up.

"Like a mile," Sylvia answered.

"I'm gonna throw up," Carlos grumbled hastily.

"What? Is your tummy upset?" Sylvia asked, turning in her seat. "Do we need to pull over?"

"He's just nervous," James explained as Carlos started to fan his face.

Images of things back at the lab flashed into Carlos' mind. He started to think of Kendall and Logan lying on an autopsy table, bodies split open and blood everywhere. Logan with his head shaved and tubes in his brain. Kendall with his wings cut off.

"Pull over," James said quickly, having seen the images and the thought cross Carlos' mind saying "Hey- I'm just about to puke everywhere!"

Brooke swerved into a gas station parking lot and Carlos bolted out, hurling beside a big van, his hand supporting him on the cold metal.

"We're so close," James heard Joanna note as he got out of the van. Honestly, he wanted to throw up, too. He was sure Carlos was puking enough for the both of them at the moment, though.

Carlos finished, sobbing and spitting. James rubbed his back as he straightened up, shaking.

"Are you okay?" James asked.

"I'm sorry," Carlos pleaded. "That wasn't cute."

"It's okay, Los," James shushed, wiping Carlos' forehead and tears with his sleeve. Honestly, he wouldn't care if Carlos puked ON him- it was his job not to care. "You were still cute."

Suddenly there came yelling in a foreign language with an Asian woman coming at them. They guessed she was angry about Carlos almost puking on her van, but there was nothing Carlos could have done to prevent it!

* * *

It was Logan's turn to sleep in Kendall's lap this time. Kendall sat against the van wall quietly, knowing that the vehicle had come to a stop.

His nose scrunched up as he heard someone puking outside of the opposite wall. He guessed someone had gotten car sick and was letting it all out on the pavement. That's sexy. It never occurred to him that maybe he should take the opportunity of being alone to yell for help.

He looked down at his sleeping Logan, smiling a little at how cherubic Logan looked even in his slumber. Kendall thought that he may even love Logan, though he didn't know what romantic love felt like.

He heard someone talking to the person outside, who had stopped vomiting now. The voice was really muffled, but man it sounded familiar.

"It's okay, Los," he could make out. Hm- that's weird. James and Logan called Carlos "Los"- man, he must really be missing them if he was hearing their names. He hoped they were safe somewhere and James was over his sickness. "You were still cute."

That sounded like something James would say to Carlos.

Hm- that's weird.

He heard the Asian lady who was their "owner" come and yell at the people. She seemed so mean- she DID have a dark aura, after all. She was probably yelling at that poor person outside for throwing up, even though they probably couldn't help it.

* * *

James wasn't listening to the lady yelling at him and Carlos. How could he? She wasn't even speaking English.

He started to hack into Carlos' brain, just because, and picked up two extra thought signals.

Hm…

One of the brains nearby was dreaming. He loved watching dreams.

The images dancing inside the person's head picked up sweetly. The person was on a swing set, someone pushing them higher and higher on the swing. The person then jumped, but never landed. They were flying.

The person's view turned to the ground to see a familiar face… Kendall?

The person dove down and Kendall caught him. Suddenly they were kissing…

Well, it wasn't a big deal. Maybe someone saw Kendall's picture on the news and thought he was a sexy bird boy- which he was. The image of Kendall brought a pang to his heart, reminding him that he probably wouldn't see Kendall ever again.

"Look, lady," came a strict voice, bringing James from his thoughts to see his mother storming to the Asian woman. "We're kinda in a hurry."

Now the woman was yelling at Brooke and Brooke was yelling back.

In the midst of it, Brooke managed a swift, "Get in the car" to her son and Carlos.

James started to pull Carlos toward the van, but Carlos was stuck in his spot, looking confused.

"Something's going on," Carlos said wondrously, looking around. "What is it?"

"What?"

Suddenly Carlos was slowly walking to the van and pressing his ear to the cold metal. He knocked on it, listening hard.

* * *

The moment that Kendall got that feeling that his emotions were being compelled was the moment he knew it was Carlos and James outside. Carlos was telling him to knock on the wall. He knew Carlos had no idea it was them in the van, but he was trying to contact anyone in there.

Kendall softly sat Logan aside and scrambled to the wall, tapping on it.

"Carlos," he whispered against it, not believing that they had been found. "It's Kendall. Be quiet. Get us out."

Manual relief flowed over Kendall, making him feel free. Carlos got the message.

"Logie," Kendall hissed, shaking his boyfriend awake. Logan grumbled and his dark eyes fluttered open accusingly, not ready to wake up. "We're saved."

* * *

Carlos casually got into the van with James, not saying a word. He focused in on Joanna and her emotional aura. He wanted to scream excitedly that he had found Kendall, but he knew he had to take care of business.

_Go get Kendall from the van._

He watched Joanna's brows furrow as she looked over to the van. She didn't know about any of the boys' abilities, and so she was very confused as to why she suddenly wanted to go to the van.

_GO!_

Joanna slowly got out of the car. Carlos then focused on Brooke.

_Stall her._

* * *

"Where did they go?" Kendall whispered, pressing his ear to the van wall.

"I hear ladies out there," Logan said.

"They're walking away."

"Where's the guy that was driving?"

Kendall crawled to the front of their cargo space to see that the cab was empty. Where WAS the man that accompanied the Asian woman?

"The keys are in the ignition," Kendall noted. "Why would they leave the keys here? We're precious cargo- someone can take us."

"Why haven't we yelled for help?" Logan asked, as if it was the obvious solution.

"Because we accepted our fates and-" Kendall trailed off as a strange woman opened the cab door and hopped in, turning the van on. "Excuse me! Who are you?!"

"What?" Logan asked, then realized that Kendall was talking to someone. He crawled over to the cab and looked in.

"Hey! Who are you?" Kendall demanded. The woman looked in the mirrors to back the van up as quickly as she could and Logan caught sight of her face.

He gripped the chain-link-like fencing between the cab and cargo space and jiggled it.

"Mom?!"

"Don't talk until we're safe," Joanna demanded. She didn't want to hear his precious voice or look at him, for fear she would get too excited and crash the van. Joanna didn't even know that her son was in the van, much less another one. She just knew she had to take the van.

"That's my mom," Logan whispered happily to his boyfriend. Kendall seemed to beam a little, looking at the woman again and finding little resemblance, but enough. He had never seen Logan glow so much- look so excited- before.

* * *

James and Carlos watched the stolen van speed away and immediately Carlos was trying to scramble out, James behind him although he had no idea what was going on.

"Carlos-" Sylvia said sternly.

"I'm going, Mom, I don't care," Carlos answered simply. He was too anxious to get to Kendall. He hated to temporarily abandon the search for Logan, especially since they were so close, according to the tracker, but they couldn't let Kendall go.

"Stay low," Sylvia gave in. She, like everyone but Carlos, had no idea that Kendall was in the van.

James spread his huge eagle wings and beat down to glide in the cold air, just as Carlos took flight with his wings of a dove, after the white van screeching down the road and getting honked at.

"HEY!"came a voice and James' head snapped back to see a man running after them, a bag of snacks in his hand. Suddenly the Asian woman's attention was grabbed from Brooke and she was running and yelling, too.

* * *

Joanna hurriedly fumbled with the key to the back of the van, attached to the van key, where she parked in the back of a run-down and abandoned grocery store three miles away from the gas station.

She got the door open and immediately Logan was hugging her tightly, shaking.

"Mommy," Logan whimpered. Joanna forgot how tall he had gotten in their last year together- she had always thought of him as a little boy since he had gone missing.

Kendall stood back, watching the scene of his boyfriend and his mother crying in one another's arms. It made him miss his own mom and family.

He decided to give him some time alone and walked off, stretching his wings and limbs. Man, he was cramped up from that van.

It was cold outside and snowing just a little, but Kendall was just so happy to be free. He glanced back to see Joanna tenderly kissing Logan's face, Logan looking like he was in heaven. Kendall imagined that's what it would be like if for some reason his mother suddenly showed up, from the grave, he guessed.

Just as his heart was getting heavy, he was tackled. Kendall went into defense mode, ready to fight, when another person tackled him. It took him a second of wiggling fearfully to realize that he was being hugged.

"I'm so happy to see that blonde head, man," James murmured, hard body against Kendall's side and his arms around him.

"We thought you were dead!" Carlos squeaked, doing the same.

James had to admit, he would have rather had Logan. Not that he didn't love Kendall, but Logan was like his brother. AND Logan had a mom that needed him, while Kendall was an orphan.

"Logan- he's-" Kendall began.

"We don't know he's dead for sure," James insisted.

"No, I mean he's over there."

* * *

Joanna never thought she would hold her son in her arms ever again, but here she was out in the Minnesota snow, her son crying like a baby as he held onto her. It was nice to know that he missed her, too.

No words were exchanged the whole time they hugged and it wasn't until Logan stood straight again, taller than she remembered, and wiped his eyes.

"I missed you, Mom," he choked.

"I never thought I'd see you again," she said, smoothing down his dark hair, which needed badly to be cut. "You've changed."

Logan opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly he was tackled, arms around his neck and a body pressed to his.

"Logie we thought you were dead!" Logan would recognize that tearful voice anywhere, and hugged Carlos back with a smile. He felt James hug them both with strong arms.

"We thought we just got Kendall," James laughed a little. "You're definitely a bonus."

"Do you know that you have a tracker?" Carlos asked, still hugging Logan.

"No, but I'm glad."

"We were on our way to find you, then we found Kendall in that van. We had no idea you were with him."

"You were gonna rescue me?" Logan asked, almost angrily. Carlos pulled his head back, a worried expression on his face, and James let go of them. "I thought the note said specifically NOT to come after us."

"You mom was here and she was so heartbroken!" James said in defense. "Besides, we were on our way to fly to Texas when we discovered the tracker, so don't even give us shit for this."

Logan sighed and turned to hug James directly for a second before he thought about introducing Kendall to his mom.

"Where's Kendall?" Logan asked, looking around.

"He's upset," James said softly. Logan sighed and nodded understandingly as another van came up and parked. He didn't care who was inside- he went to the other side of their captor's van to find Kendall sitting against the wheel, curled up.

Kendall looked up tearfully to see Logan's aura change to a rosy pink at the sight of his boyfriend.

"Hey," Logan said softly as he sat beside him.

"Hey."

Logan didn't know what to say or do, so he just sat there, looking at his knees as Kendall wiped his tears away.

"So that's your mom?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah," Logan smiled. "I'm really happy to see her."

Kendall nodded and wiped fresh tears away.

"I guess this is goodbye?" Kendall asked with heart wrenching sadness. He knew that now Logan was going back to Texas to be happy with his family- did he HAVE a family other than his mom?- and Kendall would stay in Minnesota all alone and homeless.

"What?"

"Well you're going back to Texas now."

"But you're coming with me, right?" Logan asked, suddenly afraid of losing Kendall.

"Am I?"

"I thought that was the deal. You'd be safer there with us and… Maybe… Maybe I'd miss you too much to leave you here."

"Where would I stay?"

"With Mom and I," Logan shrugged. "There's room in my bed."

Kendall let out a choked laugh and Logan grinned.

"You'd let me stay with you and your mom?" he asked.

"Unless you don't want to."

"I'd love to."

"Good. Me, too. Is there something else?"

"It's… Nothing."

"It's something to me," Logan urged.

"It's just… Seeing you reunite with your mom… It made me miss mine. And it made me really realize that I'm an orphan and I have nobody in this world… And it made me really sad."

"There's nothing I can say to make you feel better about your family," Logan said slowly. "But even though she can't replace your mom, my mom will take care of you and love you like you're her own. I guarantee it."

Kendall stared over at Logan, and Logan turned his head to him with a little smile.

"I think I love you," Kendall said softly, not believing that he simply blurted out such a huge thing without thinking.

"I think I love you, too," Logan said with no hesitation. Kendall's heart went fluttering and he felt Logan's do the same.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt this- that was ADORABLE-" James said timidly as he appeared before them. "But Mom says we have to get the hell outta here."

Logan got up.

"I guess it's time to meet Mom," he smiled, helping Kendall to his feet. "She'll love you."

* * *

"This is a waste," James grumbled as the plane took off. "We have WINGS. Why are we flying in a plane?"

"It's warmer and faster and we don't have to be afraid of gunmen," Carlos said, snuggling up to his side. "Plus we get food and can watch a movie!"

By the time the movie started, Brooke was asleep on James' shoulder with Carlos intently watching the movie on the overhead TV with his head on James' other shoulder.

Kendall had immediately fallen asleep with his head in Logan's lap in the next row over. He had never so much as been in a CAR before they were kidnapped, and so being in an airplane was something new. He didn't trust it- he only trusted his own wings- so to be put out of his misery, Sylvia gave him sleeping pills.

"Are you mad that I have a boyfriend?" Logan asked his mother to his right as he smoothed down Kendall's hair.

"I just got you back. Why would I be mad that you fell in love?"

"I dunno… I never thought about how you would react."

"He's very sweet and handsome- perfect for you."

Logan grinned and looked over to her, knowing she was dead tired, too.

"But if he's staying with us, there are boundaries. I don't care if you kiss, but not in front of me. It would be a rule even if he was a girl."

"Okay. Understandable."

"And no sex in the house."

"Mom!" Logan hissed, going red. "C'mon."

"I can't stop you from doing it, but-"

"Mom, PLEASE!"

Joanna smirked and rolled her eyes.

"I just can't wait to be home and try to get back to normal," she sighed. "I can't tell you how emotionally painful it was for me to follow Brooke and Sylvia here for our sons and mine is missing. But… It looks like I'm going back home with two sons instead of just one."

"How will we be safe from the headhunters?" Logan asked, realizing that no matter where they were, people would be out for them.

"I dunno. Maybe we'll have to get you into the witness protection program."

Logan twisted his lips and nodded, looking down at Kendall. He realized that his life would never be "normal". No matter what, he will always be the kid with wings and a boyfriend who is constantly in danger of being kidnapped.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter seemed off but I can't put my finger on what it is!**

**Just one more chapter! :D**


	13. Life

**This is the last chapter! :D I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed and followed and favorited. I appreciate the support and I love you guys! Enjoy!**

**P.S. Sorry it took so long to get this out! I've been working on Black Rose a lot, because I love it, and I just couldn't get motivated with this one. But I think I did a pretty good job, and I hope you like it.**

* * *

James looked over his bodyguard's shoulder, desperately searching for his Carlos. His bodyguard was buff, sure, but James could do better at protecting himself than this guy, honestly.

"Just stay calm, Mr. Diamond, and keep behind me," the man ordered. Frankly, he was sick of James running off and trying to play hero for the other bird boy. He had been with James for a few months now, ordered to protect him with his LIFE, but it seems like James just wants to put his life on the line for Carlos. So far nobody had tried to do anything to the boys, but they knew that as soon as they let down their guard, something would happen. The boys were all over the media, and whoever wanted them has assumedly given up because of that.

"Where's Carlos?" James demanded. They had just gotten off stage at the "Oprah Winfrey Show" set and were all separated for safety reasons.

"Which one is that one again?"

"MY Carlos? What the hell kinda body guard are you?" James scoffed. He spotted Kendall, looking humiliated behind his own bodyguard. Kendall's eyes turned to him and rolled. They both hated having a guard on duty in public- they were pretty big guys, they could take care of themselves. It was a requirement, though. They were in the witness protection program and had to be protected at all times.

James knew that Kendall was looking for Logan, too. It was almost an instinct to them- their other halves had to ALWAYS be in their sight, or they were on-edge.

"Hey, you!" Came a cheerful voice and James was almost knocked over in a hug. Carlos was happily holding him, ignoring the big man running angrily after him.

"Mr. Garcia, you KNOW-" the bodyguard demanded.

"I know, I know," Carlos retorted. "Give me some room to spread my wings, Charlie, JEEZ!"

Their bodyguards exchanged looks, which said "If I wasn't paid so much, I'd be outta here!", before Carlos' guard took the back end and they escorted the boys away.

They got into the van to find that Logan was already inside waiting. He smiled to them as they sat in their seats and the guards secured the doors.

"That was cool, right?" Logan beamed. "Talking to OPRAH?"

"I just wish my mom coulda came- she LOVES Oprah," Carlos laughed. "But I guess she'll watch us on TV."

"Where's Kenny?" Logan asked, looking around. The windows were tinted dark, and his eyes rested on Kendall struggling against his body guard coming down the sidewalk. "Nevermind. I found him."

The door slid open and Kendall was practically tossed inside, the door slamming behind him.

"ASSHOLE!" Kendall yelled at the window.

"You tell em, Ken-Dog," James smirked.

Kendall, flustered, turned and saw that Logan was already in the car. He sighed angrily and sat beside him. He knew that Logan didn't like it when Kendall fought the protection, but he couldn't help it!

"I didn't know where you were," Kendall explained.

"I was here," Logan said, smoothing down Kendall's hair soothingly. He thought it was sweet that Kendall was so protective, but he didn't understand why Kendall couldn't grasp that Logan was protected by a trained killing machine that was paid big bucks to protect him. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"Not this time."

* * *

"Pst!"

James jumped in his bed and bolted upright, on guard immediately when he heard the tap on his window. He reached for his phone, ready to call someone to come save him as soon as the window crashed open and a sack came up over his face.

But it wasn't a kidnapper. It was his Carlos out there, smiling in at him.

James let out a breath and got up angrily to open the window.

"What're you doing here?" he hissed as Carlos leaned in. "You scared me to death."

"Sorry, babe," Carlos apologized happily. "Wanna go for a fly with me? Then we can go to our spot."

"Why don't you just come in and cuddle?" James pleaded.

"I need to FLY. I'm so cramped up!"

"What if someone shoots us down?"

"Jame… I just miss you. Don't you wanna go be FREE? Just for a little?"

James sighed and twisted his lips. He would love to just stay there in his room and cuddle in his bed and talk, but then again, he hadn't flown in a long time and would love to go out and go to their secret place with Carlos.

"Okay."

As soon as the words left his mouth Carlos' lips were kissing his happily.

* * *

Logan stood behind Kendall, patting his feathers dry with a towel after his shower. He loved the dark grey color of the feathers, ranging in size from huge toward the bottom to tiny and fluffy at the top. He had already dried the insides and now he was finishing up the outside, merging the towel to the patch of skin between the bases of his wings.

It was something they did for each other after they bathed, preventing water from rolling from the waterproof feathers and getting everywhere.

It hadn't been bad at all having Kendall living with Logan and his mom. He was a good help with cleaning and he was always thanking Joanna for letting him stay there. Plus most nights Logan would sneak into his room to cuddle with him against the rules.

"Am I done?" Kendall asked over his shoulder.

"Not yet," Logan said sweetly, laying his cheek on Kendall's wing and hugging him. "Let me hold onto you for a sec."

Kendall smiled to himself and touched Logan's arms around him, loving the contact. They always made time for little things like this. It wasn't easy, though, between interviews and photoshoots. He knew that the smell of his feathers was an instinctual pleasure to Logan, as it was vice-versa.

"I love you," Logan murmured.

"I love YOU."

"I just feel like I don't say that enough."

"But I know you do, so it doesn't matter."

* * *

Carlos beamed as James landed on the top of the tall rock cliff a few miles from home, his white angel wings illuminated in the moonlight.

He folded his wings, breathing hard with a smile on his face. He didn't know how much he missed flying high in the clear night sky, doing loops and playing with his boyfriend, until it happened again.

"See? Isn't this better than cuddling?" he smirked as he and James opened his wings to cool down.

"A little."

Carlos went to the other end of the cliff to retrieve the blanket they had stashed there. James smiled a little as he helped spread it at the end of the cliff.

Carlos settled in close beside James, their legs and hips touching and James' arm beneath his head. James looked over, smiling at the way Carlos' black eyes reflected the stars he was watching.

"I miss being free," Carlos said quietly, not looking over. "I love having my family back and everything, but it's like we're prisoners now. I'd almost prefer living in the tree house- the four of us- over this."

"Not me," James said softly. "I loved that, too. Just hanging out. But now we have warm beds and food and our FAMILIES back. And at least we're safe. My mom needs a man in the house to protect her and all, and I know Logan's mom needs that, and now she has two. Your parents are really family-oriented and losing one of their sons destroyed them. It's better this way."

"Yeah. And at least we can sneak out and come here sometimes, right?" Carlos said, seeing the bright side of things as usual.

James rolled to his side to snuggle into Carlos, inhaling his scent.

"Do you think after a while we won't be under such tight surveillance?" Carlos asked.

"Maybe. But me and Kendall- we'll never stop."

Carlos was silent, smiling a little and listening to James' pulse.

"Nights like this," he began softly. "When we run away to be alone… They're what I think about when I'm missing you."

"Why do you miss me?" James asked. "I see you every day."

"I dunno. I just do. Because I love you too much, I guess."

"I love you, too."

James stroked Carlos' hair, watching the stars near the horizon. His eyes drifted to two birds coming at the cliff.

"Of course," he said flatly.

"Hm?"

"Kendall and Logan."

"We're not giving up the blanket."

"Good."

Soon Kendall and Logan landed on the cliff, confused as to why James and Carlos were there.

"Don't look at us that way, we were here first," Carlos pointed out. A few months ago the four of them had snuck off and found this cliff. Since then, if you wanted to escape you went there.

"Well things are about to get awkward," Logan said frankly as Kendall dove in to kiss his face. Logan giggled and caught his lips in a kiss.

"Awe," Carlos beamed. James rolled over a little to look at Kendall and Logan to see that their kisses were already getting heated, Kendall's guitar on the rock beside them.

"Ick," James groaned, looking back to the stars. They knew that, well, Kendall and Logan didn't really have much privacy in their small house and came to the cliff to have… "Alone time".

Logan felt his feathers prick up as well as goosebumps as Kendall's warm kisses spread over his skin. His wings started expanding and he knew Kendall's were, too. They would only get about halfway out and stay there- some kind of instinct or something that happened when bird boys got intimate.

"What about Carlos and James?" Kendall asked, pulling away. Logan turned to see James and Carlos on the blanket, Carlos pointing up at constellations happily.

"Honey. They've seen me puke my guts out all over myself in a cage. They've seen me bleed everywhere, some of which got on Carlos. They've seen me foam at the mouth a bite a guy. They can deal with this," Logan said frankly.

"But I don't want them to see," Kendall whispered.

Logan groaned and laid his head on Kendall's shoulder, hugging him.

"Can I tell them to beat it?" he asked.

"C'mon, baby, you've overdue for some brother-time."

"But… I want Kenny-time," Logan pouted up to him.

"We'll stay here all night if we have to," Kendall whispered seductively, kissing Logan's forehead.

They went to sit beside the other couple, Kendall with his guitar. James and Carlos sat up, excited to see Logan, who they hadn't been able to spend much time with lately.

"Hey, guys," Logan sighed.

"You can just tell us to leave," Carlos laughed a little.

"No, it's okay," Logan assured, glancing at Kendall, who smirked as he played softly on his guitar. "I wanna talk to you guys- I miss you."

"Awe," James melted. "We miss YOU."

"AND Kendall," Carlos said quickly, making Kendall roll his eyes good-naturedly.

"How are you guys with the media and stuff?" Logan asked, hugging his knees, using the only topic he could think of. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," James beamed. "Everyone says I'm preeeetty."

"I'm getting kinda sick of it," Carlos grumbled.

"That's how I am," Logan mumbled. "I guess life will never be the same, right?"

"But if it was the same, where would we be?" Kendall asked. "I'd be home with my family."

"I'd be at some party- it's a Friday," James said thoughtfully. "Probably shitfaced, too."

"I'd be at some type of band practice," Logan added.

"I have absolutely no clue where I would be," Carlos said slowly. "Who would I be friends with?"

"Exactly. If we wanted to go back to normal, that would mean losing each other," Kendall said. "And personally, I don't want that."

"Prom would be coming up," Logan said softly. "I only got to go one year. Damn."

"Well it's better than not going to one at all," Kendall retorted.

"Yeah," Logan sighed. "But maybe after a while the media will calm down and we can stop having bodyguards."

"MAYBE," Carlos mumbled, laying his head on James' shoulder sleepily.

"And I like having wings," James said. "I mean, we can FLY, for God's sake! And they provide warmth- maybe a little TOO much warmth- and maybe they're kinda sexy."

"A little freakish, you mean," Kendall smirked as he played. "I little too much work."

"You don't like them?" Carlos questioned.

"Well, I don't know anything else," Kendall shrugged. "I was BORN with them. But I imagine maybe life would be easier without them."

"Like maybe flying is best kept in dreams?" Logan asked. Kendall smiled a little, loving how Logan could practically read his mind.

Suddenly a string snapped on Kendall's guitar, making a "POING!" noise and slashing Kendall's wrist deep enough to matter. Kendall hissed in pain, looking down at the blood starting to ooze.

Before he could think about what to do, Logan hand his hand gently in his. Honestly, Kendall was more worried about his broken guitar string than his broken skin, but that's what Logan's for, right?

"Last time I did this, I ended up infecting James with some crazy virus that would have killed him," Logan laughed a little.

"I'll take any virus you wanna give me."

But Logan was already healing the slash.

_Sex, love, happy, Logan, sex, Logan, love-_

"Kendall! PLEASE tone it down," James groaned, holding his head. "I don't want to see your thoughts about bending Logan over and- YOU KNOW."

"But you DO," Kendall smirked as Logan finished healing the wound and kissing where it was gingerly. "I know you do, because I feel it. Dip shit. There's no LYING with Kendall Knight."

"Man, Los, you have it good," Logan said suddenly. "If you want IT, you can make James want IT, too."

Carlos smirked mischievously. Had he ever seduced James without James knowing it, making his boyfriend want to go to bed with him? Pssh. No. Well, maybe a time or two. But hey! Now that they were able to have sex without being in a cage or having Kendall and Logan breathing down their necks, why NOT?

"And if he doesn't want IT, he can make me not want IT either," James mumbled. And had James come to Carlos wanting to have sex and Carlos wasn't in the mood? A few times, although it was usually the other way around. It frustrated James when Carlos would manipulate his mind at those times to calm him down and make him want to watch a movie instead.

"Gosh, we have it so bad, don't we," Kendall smirked sarcastically. "Problems of a bird kid. Having wings and special abilities and boyfriends that would die for us and endless fame. Man, this just sucks."

"Oh, shut up," James giggled. "You're making me feel bad about myself."

They laughed for a while before things went silent, leaving only the buzz of bugs and the wind.

Logan and James caught eyes and Logan gave him a look, sending thoughts his way.

_You guys better beat it quick before Kendall and I pick up where we left off._

James groaned and got up, pulling Carlos up.

"Okay, OKAY. We're going," he groaned.

"Logan," Kendall groaned, elbowing his boyfriend. "You can't do that."

"Just did," Logan sang, watching as James and Carlos dropped off of the cliff together and rose into the air, playing like the best friends they were.

* * *

**That was sort of a weird ending, but I couldn't really think of any less awkward last-sentences. But I hope you loved the chapter and the whole story. :)**

**Thank you all for reading!**


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